Training
by Kagedtiger
Summary: (Based on the movie) David goes back to Canyon City for more training, only to meet someone who is not what he expected. (slash - David and OC)(Rating for strong sexual references (mostly in dreams)) ((complete))
1. Departure

Training  
Chapter 1 - Departure

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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistancies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistancies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. The first chapter is mostly technical stuff, but bear with me. It gets better, I promise. Thank you.**  
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"I'm not quite sure I got this right," Frank Scott said, confusion evident in his voice. "I thought Karl said you already went through training and then some kind of big test." 

David Scott finished putting the last of his possessions in his backpack, preparing for the journey back to Canyon City with Freefall. He was tired. He felt like he had hardly had time to rest since they had gotten back from the World Beneath. He wondered if he had the energy for this journey or for the training that he was about to go through. 

_Not that it matters. I have to go anyway._

He cinched up the straps and set the pack on his bed, sitting down next to it before replying to his father. 

"I did, but this is different. It's like this: When you sign on as a cadet, you first have to go to a sort of boot camp. That's where they teach you how to ride with a Skybacks. When you're done with that there's a ceremony where your Skybacks chooses you." 

Frank blinked. "You don't get to choose your dino?" 

"Saurian," David corrected automatically, "and no, they choose whether a rider deserves a Skybacks and which one will go to him. I almost didn't get one, actually. They won't approach you if you have any fear at all. They can sense it. I actually failed the first time around. But I went up again later, when I wasn't supposed to, and that's when Freefall chose me." David grinned a bit sheepishly. "I think maybe he felt a bit sorry for me." 

Frank Scott grinned and thumped his son on the back. "Nah, you were a born flyer. I can tell, and so could he. Now explain to me, if you already went through this ceremony, why do you have to do it again?" 

"It's not the same ceremony," David explained. "After your Skybacks chooses you, you are sent on a series of minor missions. Well, usually minor." David glanced out the window to where Waterfall City was still being reconstructed; the air was filled with human and saurian shouts as wrecked buildings were repaired and new sunstones were issued to the locations where they had failed. 

"Our missions were a bit more major," he said softly, remembering some of his fellow comrades who had been killed by the pteranodons, snatched from mid-air right beside him. "They had to be; there was just no way they could spare us. 

"Anyway." He shook off the gloomy memories. "You serve your missions in a Cadet Squad, under the Cadet trainer, in this case Oonu. After the Squad has served enough missions that the Cadet trainer deems them ready, the Squad returns to Canyon City. There each of us will be paired off with a member of the White Squad. They're the highest ranking Squad out there, the most elite flyers. We train intensively with our White Squad partner for a week. Then we have to take the placement test." 

Frank looked slightly overwhelmed. "This seems like an awful lot of training and testing. Isn't it a little much?" 

"Well, Skybacks riders are the most well-trained and disciplined force on Dinotopia," David explained. "This is why. But it doesn't end with the placement test." 

Frank put on a theatrically amazed expression. "There's _more_?" 

David smiled and continued. "The placement test determines which senior Squad we will serve with. After we take the test, we're no longer Cadets, we're Junior Flyers. Although usually they're still just referred to as second-year Cadets or third-year Cadets. We serve in that Squad as a Junior Flyer until our third year after pairing with a Skybacks. Then there's a ceremony where we officially become full-fledged Skybacks riders and full members of our Squads." 

"So what's the difference between a full member and a Junior Flyer?" Frank asked. 

"Not much," David confessed. "Mostly we don't get to go on the more dangerous patrols. Also it's a rank thing." 

Frank smiled, patting his son on the back again. "Well, it looks like you're all set. I guess you're leaving then?" 

David nodded and stood up, shouldering his pack. "Yeah, I guess. Freefall's waiting for me outside." 

Frank also stood. "I guess we'll see you later then. We'll be sure to go to Canyon City to watch you take your placement test." He paused, frowning. "Wasn't your brother going to come and see you off?" 

David frowned, bitter memory rearing its ugly head. "No. No, the two of us kind of... had a fight. He won't be coming." 

Images flashed through his mind that he wished he could erase. Karl - kissing Marion. His whispered, 'I love you.' And she had said it back! She had replied in kind to him, something which she had never done for David. David sighed, trying to bite back his anger. All he had gotten was 'I'm flattered.' Karl got the 'I love you too.' Wasn't that always the way? 

And then the heated argument between the brothers. He cringed as he remembered the hurled accusations. 

_"You don't really love her!" Karl had yelled. "You're just jealous of me, like you always have been! You hate the fact that I can get anything and anyone you can and more, and you're taking that out by trying to take Marion away from me!" _

"You don't love her either!" David had countered. "You don't have the commitment to love anyone. You're such a flake! You'll dump her the second the next pretty girl comes along." 

Karl had snarled angrily. "You don't know what you're talking about," he had hissed. "For the first time, I think I'm actually in love with someone. And I'm not going to let you take that away from me." 

David shook his head. No, he doubted that Karl would be seeing him off at this rate. He probably wouldn't show up at the placement test either, though their father might make him go in the end. 

David smiled slightly ruefully at his father, clasping hands with him. "I'll see you later Dad." 

"Have a good time, David. Don't work _too_ hard." 

David kept his hand clasped with his father's a moment longer, then finally released it and headed outside to find Freefall. 

  


Next Chapter

  
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	2. Assignment

Training  
Chapter 2 - Assignment

  


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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistancies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistancies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you.**  
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"Are you nervous?" Romana Dennison asked him. 

David thought about it. Was he nervous? He thought back to the all-consuming fear that he had had when he was first assigned to the Skybacks Corps. It wasn't the same. Now, in its place, was a tense excitement. To his own immense surprise, he was actually looking forward to facing the unknown. 

"I don't think so," he replied to her as they sat down with their trays in the noisy mess hall. "I think I'm actually looking forward to this. Which is, you know, a big deal for me." 

Romana grinned. "You're finally getting your wings at last. Good for you, David!" 

David smiled and bit into a large chunk of bread. It was evening mess, and they would be revealing the new White Squad partners for the Cadets in the evening announcements. The young riders were nearly quivering with repressed emotion, mostly excitement. David could tell that Romana was tense as well. That didn't surprise him. She had been working towards this her whole life. Why shouldn't she be excited? 

"Does the mess hall seem more crowded than usual to you?" he asked her, looking around. In addition to a greater press of bodies, the noise level was also louder. They didn't quite have to shout to be heard, but it was a big change from the room where normally loud whispers often carried to the next table. 

Romana smiled. "The White Squadron is here, which they very rarely are. There aren't actually a lot more people. Mostly it's just the nerves that's making everyone talk louder. It's infectious." 

"The White Squad is here already?" David looked around and sure enough, he caught glimpses of white uniforms here and there; mostly it was no more than just a flash from the corner of his eye, but they _were_ here. 

For all their celebrity, the White Squad was rarely in Canyon City. They were too highly in demand. Few of the Cadets knew much about them, though the older riders often traded stories of their exploits. David hadn't heard too many, but he knew that Romana had. 

Romana grinned. "Isn't it great? We get to train with the most elite Squad in the whole Corps. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be placed in the White Squad?" 

"No kidding," said David. "You probably will, I imagine. Not me though. I'll be lucky to make Red." 

Romana grinned and poked him playfully in the arm with her fork. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're a brilliant flyer. I'm sure you'll make Gold, at least." 

David was flattered. After White, Gold was the second highest ranking Squadron. 

"Anyway," said Romana, "hurry up and eat. We want to be ready when they announce our partners." 

They ate quickly and in silence for a while. When they finished, they sat impatiently in their seats, waiting for one of the Squadron leaders to stand and read the evening announcements. 

"Wouldn't it be amazing to be paired with the White Squadron leader?" Romana asked in a starstruck whisper, causing David to have to lean very close to hear her. "I mean, it'd be like, training with the best Skybacks rider in all of Dinotopia!" 

"I had no idea the Squadron leader actually participated in the training," David admitted. 

Romana nodded emphatically. "He does. So does his second-in-command, Altara Atennon. I've seen them fly too, and they're _amazing_! He-" 

But whatever else Romana had to say about the White Squadron leader, David never found out. At that moment, Captain Oonu stood and walked to the small raised Dais at the front of the cafeteria, causing everyone to fall silent. 

David fidgeted nervously as the Cadet leader first read through some routine announcements: patrol assignments, cleanup duties, a few safety warnings that had to be reiterated because someone had been pressing the rules. Then finally, he came to it. 

"Now, I know you've all been waiting to hear them, so here are the White Squad partner assignments for the Cadets. Cadet Connely, your partner is Evard Grifthon. Cadet Muran, your partner is Avon Terrota. Cadet Milleson..." 

David watched as one by one the Cadets stood and moved up to the dais, where they were met by a rider in a white uniform who then walked them out of the cafeteria. He grinned at the starstruck and flushed expressions on the faces of some of the Cadets. They clearly felt they were in the presence of celebrities. Which was true, David admitted. You couldn't get much more famous in the Skybacks Corps than the White Squadron. 

They were nearing the end of the list. David knew he would be last. He was last on the roster, right after Romana. He had been since he joined. He didn't mind; it was comfortable going last. 

"...Cadet Dennison, your partner is Altara Atennon." 

David watched as Romana's eyes widened. She was so flushed that he thought she might burst a blood vessel in her face. She stumbled to her feet, then paused, collecting herself, and marched to the front of the room. She was beaming like he had never seen before and David saw an answering grin on the face of the beautiful raven-haired white-clad woman who came to collect her. 

Finally it was his turn. 

"Cadet Scott, your partner is Sebastian Kowar." 

David stood and walked to the front of the room, unable to contain his own grin. From the other side of the room, a white-clad rider rose from his seat and stepped forward to meet him. As they both reached the dais, David got his first look at his new partner. 

The man was unbelievably handsome. His hair was very light blond and wavy, coming down to just about the level of his chin, and creating a halo about his face when the light shone from behind him. Warm brown eyes looked out of a face with features that were just the tiniest bit too strong to be termed effeminite, complete with a warm smile that reminded David of Marion. Under his uniform he appeared to be well-muscled, but not bulky. All in all, David decided, he was the type of man who probably broke hearts without trying. 

David liked him immediately, without being quite sure why. 

Sebastian put a companionable arm about his shoulders and steered him towards the exit. "Well then, so you're the famous David Scott, huh? I heard about your flight back from the temple with the sunstone. That's really impressive!" 

David flushed slightly at receiving such praise from one of the white riders. "I just did what had to be done in the situation." 

Sebastian grinned as they stepped out into the cool night air of Canyon City. The glow from the sunstones bathed everything in a pale white light. The evening was always when the city looked the most beautiful, David mused. 

"Well," said Sebastian, "we'll set out tomorrow for the site where we'll be training. It's pretty much in the wilderness, but I've camped out there before and it's comfortable enough. Tonight though, why don't we introduce the birds?" 

"Birds?" David raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Oh, sorry! Skybacks." Sebastian smiled again, looking slightly sheepish. He never seemed to stop smiling. "We're supposed to be teaching you to be all proper and military, right? Sorry. I'm afraid to say that I'm not very good at that. I'm just used to being loose. I know it's different for you cadets, training under old Blue Beak, but he just wants you guys to be professional." 

"Wait a minute... Blue Beak? You mean Oonu?" 

"It's an... affectionate name for his bird. Haven't you noticed the Blue Beak?" 

"I have," David admitted. "Does Oonu know that you call his... bird... that?" 

Sebastian looked thoughtful. "He might. Not sure. Anyway, here we are." 

They had reached a cliff looking down onto the Skybacks roosts. Sebastian raised his hand in the gesture used by riders to call their steeds to them. After looking at Sebastian for confirmation, David did so as well. 

Freefall came to the cliff edge at almost the same time as the other Skybacks did. David looked in awe at the immense creature standing next to his own steed. His skin was an unusually light gold tint, and his crest was orangish at the base, melting gradually into a bright red at the tip. David had no doubt that when the sunlight hit him, this Skybacks would gleam like a sun himself. 

"Wow," he breathed, "he's... beautiful." 

Sebastian patted the Skybacks on his wing, clearly proud of his steed. "Don't act too impressed. He's an incredibly vain creature. David, I'd like you to meet Cliffdiver." 

David bowed respectfully to the Skybacks. "Breathe Deep, Cliffdiver." 

"Fly High," the Skybacks responded in Saurian. 

David moved next to his own mount, looking up at Freefall. Even after all this time, he still hadn't gotten used to the thought that this creature was his partner. The bond they had was too amazing. 

"Mr. Kowar, Cliffdiver, this is Freefall." 

Sebastian shuddered playfully. "Call me Sebastian. 'Mr.' makes me feel old. I'm not that much your elder, you know. And Breathe Deep, Freefall." 

"Fly High," Freefall murmured. 

Without consulting each other, the two Skybacks lept off the edge of the cliff at the same time, rocketing straight down before evening out into a smoother flight. 

"You bird's pretty handsome himself," Sebastian said softly as they watched the two dinosaurs fly off. 

"That's nice of you to say," said David, "but I know I'm probably the only one who really thinks so. He's albino, so he's an outcast, like me. It's why we get along so well." 

"Oh I don't know, I think he's very handsome. If Cliffdiver likes to think he's like the sun, then your Freefall is definitely the moon. Very elegant." Sebastian turned to look at David. "Very beautiful." 

David looked up at him, slightly startled. "I, um... thank you." 

There was a strange look in Sebastian's eyes. It was there for only a moment, but it left David feeling profoundly unsettled. 

"Now," said Sebastian, either not noticing or ignoring David's sudden inner turmoil, "you best get some sleep. It will be a long flight out to our training ground tomorrow." 

  


  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
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	3. Flight Out

Training  
Chapter 3 - Flight Out

  


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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistancies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistancies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you.**  
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The flight out to the training ground took longer than David had expected. They had left early that morning, right after breakfast. Even though he had been back in Canyon City for over a week, David was still having trouble re-adjusting to the early mornings. 

When he had arrived at their takeoff point, disheveled and yawning, Sebastian had grinned and ruffled his hair. 

"What's wrong Sleepyhead? Didn't get enough rest last night?" 

David yawned again, looking sheepish. This wasn't exactly the first impression he had wanted to make on his White Squad partner. 

"I guess not," he conceded, running a hand through his messy hair. He had decided to let it grow out a bit, to fit the current fashion in Dinotopia. 

Sebastian nudged him, giving him a knowing look. "Someone been keeping you up all night? That cute blond you were sitting with at supper yesterday, maybe?" 

David blushed. Why was it that people always assumed that he and Romana were a couple? "We're just friends. Really," he assured Sebastian. "I just... didn't go to sleep early enough, I guess." 

That wasn't entirely true. He had been having trouble sleeping lately. Every time he closed his eyes, he found himself dreaming about Karl and Marion. Their heated kiss replayed itself on the inside of his eyelids over and over, until he thought he would go insane. Even in his absence, his brother still seemed to be able to make his life miserable. 

Sebastian had gotten curiously quiet for a moment, but before David could ask him about it his friend had clapped him on the back, his wide grin back in full force. 

"Well, don't worry about it! After a day's worth of training with me, you'll be nodding off as soon as you hit the ground. And I guarantee that you'll sleep soundly." He gave David another knowing look, this one considerably less joking than the first. 

David was startled. Did Sebastian know that he hadn't been sleeping well? He thought back to their conversation. He hadn't hinted at it, had he? So how did the white rider know? 

Slightly unsettled, David mounted Freefall and follwed Sebastian off the edge of the cliff. 

They flew for hours. David had eventually lost track of the amount of time. At one point, much to his own chagrin, he found himself nodding off mid-flight. He shook his head rapidly, taking one hand off the reigns long enough to pinch himself awake. 

"Sorry Freefall," he muttered, cheek against the dinosaur's back. When they were flying it was easier to communicate this way. Instead of having to shout over the wind, Freefall could simply feel and interperet the vibrations that David's speech made on his skin. 

"It is all right," said Freefall. "Indeed, that is what those straps on your saddle are for. Just fasten them about yourself tightly so that you do not fall off, and I will do the flying." 

David smiled. All dinosaurs, but the Skybacks especially, had a curiously formal speech style. Reaching down, he grabbed the straps dangling around the edge of the saddle and followed his partner's instructions. When he was positive that he was secure, he began to drift off. 

He awoke with a slightly jarring thump against his saddle as Freefall landed on the edge of a cliff. 

He looked over to see that Sebastian had already dismounted and was grinning his familiar grin at him. 

"I see you managed to catch a few winks," said the White Rider. 

David nodded and hurriedly unfastened himself. "I did Sir. I hope that was all right, Sir. Freefall said-" 

Sebastian held up a hand. "Whoah. It's okay, really. What you did was perfectly legal. But just so you know, you're only allowed to sleep if you're in a group of many and you're not the one leading the group. If you're by yourself you have to be alert enough to watch for danger. Same goes for if you're leading a train. Got it?" 

"Yes Sir," said David crisply. 

"And another thing." Sebastian grimaced theatrically. "Stop calling me Sir. I mean, I know I'm your teacher, but I'd kind of also like to be your friend, if that's all right with you." 

David felt an odd sensation at the thought of a white rider wanting to be friends with him. It was a strange mix of pride and... something else. 

David nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Si- I mean, Sebastian. I would like that very much." 

Sebastian grinned his grin that never really went away. "Great. Then let's get camp set up before it gets dark, shall we?" 

  


  


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	4. Day 1

Training  
Chapter 4 - Day 1

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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you.**  
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David dreamt that night of hands. Scorching, sensuous hands that roamed up and down his body, seeking out sensitive areas and setting fire to his skin. 

He reached out, unable to see his tormentor and wanting to feel similar skin under his own hands, but he encountered nothing but air. But he could _feel_ the hands. Now one trailed languidly down his bare chest, now the other felt cautiously up the length of his thigh. He gasped at the incredible heat in the touch. Everywhere the hands went, they seared and healed, leaving him in a constant state of near-pain that was deliciously intoxication and he wanted _more_. 

David awoke in an uncomfortable state of arousal and fervently thanked God that Sebastian was not awake yet. It was early, before dawn, but David found that after napping on the way in yesterday, he couldn't manage to fall asleep again. Instead he paced the small ledge that they were camped on, breathing in the invigoratingly cold night air. 

When the sun finally rose, David looked out across the landscape and gasped in wonder. The scenery was gorgeous. 

They had chosen to camp on a relatively small outcropping near the top of a canyon wall. The rising sun at the very end of the canyon to their right cast the entire deep gorge into a pale, fiery light that seemed to make the rock itself glow. And down the entire center of the canyon, far below their outcrop, the sun sparkled off of unbelievably blue water, as an apparently very deep river wended its way between the rocky cliffs. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" 

David started and looked behind him to find Sebastian standing at his shoulder, smiling softly and gazing at the scenery. "Sunrise here is always a real treat," the man said. Then he grinned at David. "Get used to it. You're going to be seeing a lot of them." 

Choosing to ignore the playful threat for the moment, David looked back at the gorgeous view. "It's, it's... Amazing," he said, unable to express the sheer wonder he felt in words. 

Sebastian nodded. "What say you we saddle up and go for a warm-up flight while it's still this pretty, huh? Not that it gets uglier in the daylight, but this is a rare time." 

A rare time. David savored the phrase as he motioned to call Freefall to him. That was the perfect phrase for it, really. A view like this only came once. It would never be the same, even if he saw a hundred sunrises from this very cliff. 

Sebastian led him on a leisurely flight around their area of the canyon. It was as beautiful from the other angles as their view from the cliff, and David drank in every second of it. It was almost spiritual, the way the entire world seemed to slowly come awake, the way the only sound was the wind streaming past his face, cool in the rapidly warming air. 

On their re-approach to the cliff ledge, David saw something that made him smile. To the right of their chosen campsite, far below it where the river met the cliffs, the water had hollowed out a small cove that appeared to have a sandy beach. It would be the perfect place to lie for sunbathing, and the rocky overhang just a few feet behind it would provide a welcome shade in the heat of the afternoon. This site was obviously well chosen. 

"How many people know about this place?" David asked once they landed. 

"Not many," replied Sebastian. "I don't bring the trainees to the same place every year, and this place in particular I only bring those who I think have a very special talent." He smiled at David. "I asked to train you specifically, you know. I wanted to meet the hero who saved Dinotopia. Well, one of the heroes." 

David's mood was tainted slightly at the thought of his brother, until he realized suddenly that he had not dreamt of Karl and Marion the previous night. That other dream had occupied all his sleeping moments. Was it possible he was already getting over the hurt of seeing them together? Could it really happen that quickly? 

"-which will seem a bit strange at first, but you'll get used to it." 

David realized with a start that Sebastian had been speaking and he had completely spaced out. He flushed guiltily. 

"I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. Could you say that again?" 

Sebastian grinned. "I thought you looked a little spaced. I was saying, I'm going to have you fly blindfolded." 

David paused, trying to assimilate this. 

"You want me to do _what_?" 

"I want you to fly blindfolded," Sebastian repeated. He grinned at David's skeptical look. "Let me explain. One of the most important things that you have to do is trust your Bird. Freefall knows how to fly. You don't. You're going to learn, of course. At the end of this little training session I'm going to blindfold him so we make sure that _he_ trusts _you_. Because you can't rely on him to do all the work. But for now, we're just making sure that you give Freefall your absolute trust. It could save your life one day." 

David still looked a little uncertain, but he took the blindfold that Sebastian held out to him. 

"Now," said White Rider, rubbing his hands together with excitement. "Mount up and put it on." 

David strode over to Freefall, stalling by checking the harness straps to make sure they were properly secured, even though there was very little chance that they could possibly have slipped since his previous flight. When he finally couldn't put it off any more, he mounted and tied the blindfold over his eyes. He laid himself down in the saddle and clutched tightly at the edge, more scared than he wanted to admit to himself. 

"Now Freefall," he heard Sebastian say from somewhere in front of him. "I want you to just follow me. We're going to start really simple. Basic easy flight patterns, easy turns. Try not to jostle him too much. From the look of the way he's holding on to that saddle, he's petrified right now, so don't drop him." 

David turned his head into the saddle, hoping that Sebastian was too far away to see him blushing. Was his nervousness that obvious? 

His thoughts were cut off by the disconcerting feeling of Freefall moving underneath him. He'd experienced the sensation hundreds of times, but this was the first time he had been so acutely aware of and focused on it. The tremendous muscles shifted, and then suddenly he felt himself dropping. 

Nearly biting his tongue in his effort to keep from crying out, he clutched tighter at the saddle and prayed silently to himself. Eventually he felt Freefall's flight level out and unclenched his death grip on the saddle long enough to reach back and confirm the comforting weight of the harness safety straps that were locking him in. 

It took a while, but as Sebastian had predicted, he slowly became accustomed to the strange feeling of riding blind. In fact, he began to relish the strange insight into his Skybax's movements that he had never before experienced. He could feel each muscle strain, each minute adjustment in the pitch of his wings that changed their direction. 

It was true, he thought. Freefall knew more about how to fly than he himself could ever hope to. 

After what seemed a short eternity, they set back down on the cliff. David sat up and removed his blindfold, startled to find that he was shaking with tension. No matter how insightful or mesmerizing the movement of Freefall beneath him was, it was nerve-wracking to not be in control. He took a deep breath and sighed in relief as he finally saw the world around him again. 

"Not bad," said Sebastian from the cliff behind him. "Not bad at all." 

David turned to look at him to find that the other man was rummaging through a leather pack. He began to dismount to go over and help him, but Sebastian held up a hand. "Stay mounted," he said. "I'll just be a sec." 

He proved to be as good as his word and within a few seconds came up with a small package of several dozen brightly colored lengths of cheap fabric. David smiled. He recognized these objects. 

Sebastian grinned at the look on his face. "I assume you know what these are for?" 

David nodded enthusiastically. They were used for a game the cadets had played called ribbon tag. It was a fairly simple exercise. The trainer would tie several long ribbons to the feet of his Skybax and take off, dodging and weaving in complex patterns. The trainee would attempt to follow and get close enough for his own Skybax to nip off the ribbons with its beak. Sometimes trainers set a time limit and judged by how many ribbons were missing from the original amount, others clocked how long it took the trainee to get all of them off. Either way, it was fast-paced and exciting, and one of David's favorite drills. 

"So," Sebastian drawled, "think you can still play it with the blindfold on?" 

David was momentarily stunned. Ribbon tag required great reflexes from both the rider and the Skybax. It was impossible to do it blindfolded, right? 

"I don't think I can do it," David answered truthfully. "I mean, Freefall needs my reflexes for this sort of thing, doesn't he?" 

"You might think so," said Sebastian, walking over to affix the ribbons to Cliffdiver's feet, "but remember that he'd been flying for years before you came along. What he needs to practice is his agility while carrying you around. With you lending him your own reflexes it's easier. But if you're blindfolded, then it's not. This training session is as much for Freefall as it is for you, and this exercise it designed to help increase his reflexes as well as your trust." Sebastian suddenly flashed his characteristic grin. "Those safety straps _will_ hold you. Trust Freefall. He won't let you fall off." 

"Are all today's exercises going to involve me being blindfolded?" asked David dubiously. 

Sebastian winked as he finished fastening the final ribbon to his Skybax's leg. "You catch on quick, don't you?" 

  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
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	5. Day 2

Training  
Chapter 5 - Day 2

------------------  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you.**  
------------------ 

Just as Sebastian had predicted, he was so tired that evening that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was visited again by the dream of hands. 

This time, the hands were joined by lips. Impossibly hotter than the hands themselves, the lips trailed softly down his chest, leaving a river of fire in their wake. David could hear nothing but the sounds of his own ragged breathing. His own lips moved as he silently chanted a prayer. He wasn't sure what he was asking for but the hands knew, and the lips knew, and so he prayed for it. 

Vision finally came to him, in flashes. Through miles of thick haze, he could see glimpses of the bare flesh that blissfully contacted his own. The skin seemed to whisper through the mist and over his body, there and not there. Not solid, but felt so powerfully that they could not possibly be real. 

Glimpses of gold also tortured his vision. Here and there strands of pure, blond hair would trail into his sight, only to vanish again quickly. His hands itched to tangle in that hair, pull the face with the heated lips towards him, drown in the lava of that kiss. 

"Wakey-wakey!" 

David was abruptly startled awake and catapulted out of his dream as reality came crashing down upon him like a bucket of cold water. He sat up hurriedly, only to find Sebastian standing over him, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He blushed involuntarily at the thought of his mentor rousing him from such an intimate dream. 

"Come on," Sebastian urged. "It's almost dawn, and I want us to be in the air when it comes around." With that he strode away, leaving David to collect himself. As he left however, David couldn't help noticing the way the few precocious rays of early sun caught the edges of the White Rider's hair, giving him highlights that were... golden. 

David blushed to the roots of his hair and was suddenly very, _very_ glad that Sebastian's back was to him. _My God,_ he thought, _was that him in the dream? No way. Impossible. No possible way in hell I just had a hot dream about my teacher. These kind of things don't happen to me. Karl maybe, but not me. It can't have been him._

He stood shakily and quickly dressed, preparing himself for the rigors of another day training. 

If it was possible, this morning's sunrise was even more beautiful than the first, thought David. Only this early in the morning did the sunlight hit the water just right, making the entire river glow a molten gold, surrounded by the red and pink glow of the canyon walls. It looked like a painting, and David used the awe of it to help clear his mind of all traces of the dream from the previous night. 

This time, when they returned to the cliff, Sebastian produced a dozen or so small balls the size of his fist, half of them white and half black. 

"Now," he said, showing the balls to David, "here's what we're going to do today. You and Freefall are going to go and perch on that ledge over there." He pointed to a small outcropping of rock a few hundred feet away and about fifty feet or so below them in height. 

"I'm going to toss these balls into the air, and you and Freefall have to fly by and catch them. Now Freefall, no matter how strong the temptation to nab them with your beak, you have to let David catch them. It'll be more difficult for you to position yourself where he can catch them than for you to just catch them yourself, but that's the point of these exercises after all. And David, you're going to have to let go of the saddle with at least one, possibly both hands in mid-flight for this exercise." 

David nodded. What Sebastian was proposing was difficult, but not impossible. "I don't have to wear a blindfold again, do I?" he asked dubiously. 

Sebastian laughed. "No, not for this one. You'll probably only have to wear it once or twice more during the whole training session, don't worry. Now." He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Here's how we're going to start it. At first I'm only going to throw the black balls, since they're much easier to spot from a distance. For the first couple times I want you two to zoom towards me as soon as the ball leaves my hand and see how quickly you can get it. After that I'll have you wait as long as you can and try to catch it as close to the surface of the water as possible. Then, once you can do that, I'll fly around with Cliffdiver and throw the ball at random; you'll have to be watching for it." 

He must have seen David's expression, because he laughed again. "It's not as bad as it sounds, trust me. THEN, once I'm sure you can do all of that without trouble, I'll start throwing the white balls, which are nearly impossible to see from a distance in broad daylight. That's when you're going to start having problems." He grinned. "You ready?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," David muttered. 

"Great! Then mount up and let's get started!" 

It was mid-afternoon when they finally stopped for a break. They had gotten as far as Sebastian throwing the black balls from mid-flight, but David just couldn't seem to keep his head up long enough to look for the ball. They decided to stop for food and a little rest before continuing. 

"So, have you been sleeping okay?" asked Sebastian as they sat around the remains of the previous night's campfire, finishing up their meal. 

For a single, terrifying moment, David was absolutely sure that Sebastian knew that he had had been having hot dreams about someone who was most probably him. 

_Not him,_ David reminded himself. Of course it's not him. 

Then he remembered that they had talked about his sleeping habits earlier, on the journey in. He nodded sheepishly, hoping his embarrassment didn't show. 

"Yeah. I... I had kind of been having some bad dreams. I had a bit of a fight with my brother before I left and it's been haunting me. But you were right, those dreams stopped as soon as we started training." 

For once, Sebastian didn't flash him a grin. Instead he simply looked gently concerned. "Do you want to talk about it? Your fight with your brother, I mean." 

David considered this. Did he? He didn't really know Sebastian very well, but the other man _had_ said he wanted to be friends. Besides, the White Rider wasn't that much older than him, after all. He must have had similar problems at some point. 

"We were both kind of fighting over the same girl," he admitted. "And much as I hate to admit it, I think he may have finally won. I just- argh!" He slammed a fist into the ground in frustration. "He always wins, you know? No matter what we're competing over, he always manages to beat me somehow. And I really liked her, you know?" 

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sebastian. "It's very difficult to fight with one's siblings. I know, I have two of them. But if you really care about the girl, then you should probably ask yourself, what did she actually want?" 

David was startled. He hadn't thought to consider that. But when he thought about it, Karl really was all that Marion would want, wasn't he? He was the clever one, the daring one, the bad boy. Women always did go for the bad boy, didn't they? 

He sighed. "You're right, of course. I guess I should let her go. He really is better for her than I would be. So I guess I should respect that and move on. Still, it irks me a little that there isn't anything that I'm really better at him than. Anything that really counts, anyway." 

Sebastian stood, holding a hand out to David and pulling him to his feet. "Nonsense! You're plenty good at flying, and that's something he'll never be able to do. Speaking of which, come on. I think I know how to help you with this exercise." 

Still pulling on his hand, Sebastian led David over to Freefall. "Mount up," he ordered. 

David did so and, without any warning at all, Sebastian mounted up behind him. Freefall squawked slightly in protest, but Cliffdiver said something to him in Saurian that David didn't catch and the Skybax calmed. 

"Now," said Sebastian, "lay across the saddle like you usually do." 

Somewhat nervous about the unaccustomed presence behind him, David leaned over the saddle, grabbing it at the front as he usually did and assuming the posture he maintained during flight. 

He gasped involuntarily as Sebastian laid himself on top of him, putting his hands over David's own. 

David was suddenly stunned by the incredible feeling of his mentor's weight on top of him, a delicious pressure that sent a shiver of pleasure through his entire body. Not entirely sure where it came from, David fought to overcome the wave of lust that threatened to overpower him. As if from another dimension, he heard Sebastian's voice, even as the man's breath whispered like a ghost across his ear. 

Sebastian, seemingly oblivious to David's turmoil, was re-positioning David's hands. "See," he said, "if you hold it more here, towards the center, then you can prop yourself up better so you can see around you and keep an eye out for the ball, or any other incoming target. Got it?" 

David pulled together enough decorum to nod his head, and Sebastian thankfully slipped off the saddle, returning to his own mount. "So," he said, as if his complete invasion of David's personal space had been nothing out of the ordinary, "are you ready?" 

David tried to speak, but found that he couldn't manage to make his voice work. He swallowed once and cleared his throat hurriedly. "Ready!" he assured Sebastian, hoping he didn't sound as unsettled as he felt. 

They went back to training and David found that Sebastian was right; the positioning of his hands did make all the difference. 

  


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	6. Day 3

Training  
Chapter 6 - Day 3

------------------  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you.**  
------------------ 

The third night was the first time David was utterly sure of the dream person's identity. Sebastian's face loomed next to his own as the older man leaned in for a kiss, and David willingly parted his lips to allow his lover entry. 

The hands were all over him again. He found he couldn't focus on one individually because he would be entirely distracted by the ministrations of the other. The only thing he was sure of was the burning heat in his veins that threatened to boil his blood, escaping him as mist and taking his sanity with it. There was no denying the fierce sexual energy that flooded through both of them, and David knew with startling clarity what this encounter would eventually lead to. 

He awoke before dawn and headed out with Freefall on his own, needing to get as far away from Sebastian as possible. 

_I am not dreaming about sex with my teacher. I am NOT dreaming about sex with my teacher. I am NOT- ...Shit._ David pressed himself closer to the saddle, trying not to think about the way Sebastian had felt lying on top of him yesterday. 

_Okay,_ he thought to himself, feeling foolish, _there comes a time in every man's life when he must question his own sexuality. Am I gay?_

At first the idea seemed too ridiculous to even consider. But David forced himself to think about it logically. 

_I've never been attracted to men before._ He paused, trying to be as honest and fair as possible. _But then, I've never really been attracted to women either, have I? Except for Marion, of course. Karl was right; before we came here I did spend almost all my time holed up in a room by myself. I never even really dated before. I guess that's kind of sad._

David shook his head, forcing himself to stay on topic. _The important question here is, how exactly do I feel about Sebastian. There's no denying the effect he had on my body yesterday._ David blushed at the memory. _But does that mean that I'm attracted to him? Or am I just starved for physical contact?_

David sighed. On the whole, this little outing hadn't really done him any good at all. But it was nearly dawn, and Sebastian would be getting up now. He had to head back. 

_I'll just let it be,_ he thought to himself. _It's probably a moot point anyway. It's not like he would be interested in someone like me._

Sebastian was waiting for him when he got back to the cliff. "You alright?" he asked as David landed. "I got worried when I woke up and you were gone." 

"I'm fine," David assured him. "I just had some thinking to do." 

"Okay," said Sebastian. "So listen. We pretty much finished up with the black balls yesterday. When we get done with our warm up ride around the canyon, we'll start on the white balls. How does that sound?" 

David nodded, his pensieveness fading away in the face of the prospect of another thrilling day of flying. Because despite their difficilty, the drills Sebastian was teaching him really were fun. There was nothing that felt better than the freedom of being on the back of a Skybax. 

As usual, Sebastian's comment earlier had been completely accurate. The white balls were nearly impossible to spot in the first place, let alone follow. The smallest movement besides the ball in his field of vision and he would be distracted and lose it completely. Time after time he dove towards it, only to find that the spot he had been aiming for was empty. Freefall was as confused as he was, and mumbled now and again in disapproval. 

Sebastian tried to give him tips, but David couldn't seem to concentrate on his words. Every time his teacher spoke, David's eyes would stray to his lips and he would remember the dream and completely space out whatever Sebastian was saying. Sebastian began to notice that he wasn't listening and became, for the first time since David had met him, displeased. 

So it was in a state of exhaustion and frustration that they finally broke for lunch. 

"I don't know if I can do this," David said, sitting next to the stone circle where they normally had their fire. "I just can't seem to see them." 

Sebastian sighed and practically collapsed next to him. "Don't be too hard on yourself. A lot of cadets get stuck at this point. I knew it was going to be problematic when we started." 

David ripped almost viciously into a piece of bread. "I just... can't... concentrate," he admitted. 

Sebastian paused and gave him an incredibly strange look that David had never seen before. Before he could question it however, it was gone, and in its place was the usual grin that seemed to be Sebastian's default. David decided to let it go. 

They had finished their meal and stood to go back to their mounts when Sebastian halted David with a hand on his arm. "Hold on a second," he said. "There's something I want to do before we head out again." 

Quickly and with no warning at all, he leaned in and captured David's lips in a kiss. 

David's mind froze. The sensation was so incredibly akin to the one in his dream that he felt paralyzed, unable to move or even think. It was just the same, down to the strange, irresistable heat that flowed into him through the contact. For a moment it was so intense that he thought he might pass out. 

Sebastian finally released him and grinned. "I'm sorry. I've just been wanting to do that pretty much since I first saw you." He paused, obviously taking in David's shocked expression. "Hey, are you okay?" 

David took a step backwards, putting some space between them. He was still having a hard time putting together coherent thoughts. "But, you..." he stuttered, "You're... a guy! We're guys! We can't..." 

Sebastian looked mildly surprised. "I'm sorry. Are you exclusive? I wouldn't have thought you were. If you are, then of course I respect that. ...What? Why are you looking at me so strangely?" 

David sat abruptly on one of the stones surrounding the campfire. "Exclusive... what?" he managed. 

Sebastian sat on a rock near him, maintaining the distance that David had imposed. "You know. Exclusive. Preferring to only be with one gender rather than both?" 

"But..." David was beginning to regain a solid mental footing. "No. That's how it normally is, back at home. Most people only like those of the opposite sex. That's... normal." 

"Not in Dinotopia," Sebastian said amiably. "Here we believe that one should not shut oneself off from love for reasons as simple and insignificant as gender. Of course, there are the rare few that choose to be exclusive. Are you saying my advances are wholly unwelcome? I like you a lot David, but I'm not going to pressure you into something you don't want, just because I'm your teacher. _Especially_ because I'm your teacher. 

"No, it's okay. I just... Give me some time to think about this, okay?" 

David's mind screamed at him. _Idiot! Why did I say that?! Tell him no! Tell him of course not, I'm not some fag! I don't like men! I DON'T!_

But somehow he couldn't make himself say the words. He could feel, deep down, that they lacked truth. 

Sebastian stood, grinning. "Alrighty! In that case, let's get back to your training, shall we? You need to learn how to watch these things. Tell you what. We'll do a couple runs where you just stand and watch while I throw the ball. Count how long it takes before you see the splash when it hits the water. Then you'll have a rough idea of how long it takes to fall, all right?" 

David nodded, forcing his brain to switch gears. "Right. Okay. That sounds like a good idea." He walked over to Freefall and mounted up. 

  


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	7. The Third Evening

Training  
Chapter 7 - The Third Evening

------------------  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

Note: I had to change the amount of time that the cadets spend in training with White Riders. It's now down to one week, because frankly, I don't have enough material for two. 

And yes, this chapter does deserve a more complete title. You'll see why at the end.   
------------------ 

Towards the middle of the afternoon, David was finally starting to get the hang of the white balls. It was difficult, but if he managed to align himself correctly, the sun flashed off of the white surface of the balls, and they shone all the way down, making them easy to catch. The trick was to line it up correctly. 

David leaned slightly to the left in his saddle, giving Freefall the cue. Any second now. He could feel it. 

From across the canyon, Cliffdiver swept back and forth, his form a riot of fierce color in the late sun. David shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate. Cliffdiver's brilliant colors were a constant distraction, but the ball throwing required absolute focus. 

There. David saw Sebastian move slightly, his body extending into a throwing motion, though he couldn't see the ball itself. He urged Freefall into a quick spiral and watched closely... Success! A flash of white caught his eye and he brought Freefall back sharply, getting himself back into the position where glistening light made the ball look more like a dropped diamond, or a falling star. 

The ferocious whistling of the wind was the only sound as he held on to Freefall's saddle tightly, watching the ball. Closer and closer they came. Now only yards separated them from the ball. Now feet. Now inches. 

Holding tightly to the saddle with one hand, David allowed the wind to snap him upright, reaching out his hand and... YES! He brought his arm down triumphantly, the white ball clenched tightly in his fist. He lay back against Freefall's saddle and let the Skybax take him on an easy ride back to the cliff. 

Sebastian was waiting for him when he got there, grinning. "You got it, didn't you?" he asked. 

David held up the ball in reply, unable to stop an answering grin from spreading across his own features. "It's not as hard as it seems, once you get the hang of it." 

"That's the spirit!" said Sebastian enthusiastically, clapping him on the back. "Now what say you we make it harder?" 

David's spirits sank just the slightest. "It gets _worse_?" 

Sebastian nodded, still grinning. "Uh-huh. Here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna stand on the cliff and throw the balls like I usually do. I'll use a mix of the white and black so you'll never know which one to expect. But here's the catch: We're going to tie ribbons to Freefall's feet, and Cliffdiver will be out there without me trying to rip them off. The trick is to catch the ball while losing as few ribbons as possible. Sound like a challenge?" 

It did sound difficult. But David found to his own surprise that he was looking forward to it. Before this training session he had never really known how good it felt to push your limits. He was discovering new depths and abilities every day that he had never even suspected that he had. He squared his shoulders, snapping off a salute. 

"Sounds good! Let's do it!" 

"Mount up!" yelled Sebastian, mimicking the military formality that Oonu had always used with the cadets. 

Feeling rather optimistic, David strode over to Freefall and jumped into the saddle. 

By the time they sat down to eat supper, the moon had already risen and David was more physically exhausted than he had ever been in his life. Every muscle in his body ached. But at the same time, his mind was far too alert for sleeping. Hours of watching his back, trying to predict where his attacker would come from, had taken their toll. Even worse was the sheer panic when Cliffdiver would suddenly appear, seemingly from thin air, right in his path. It was all he and Freefall could do to bank as hard as they could to avoid collision, and they always wound up losing quite a few ribbons in the process. Even as Freefall had set him down on the cliff, David caught himself watching for a surprise attack out of the corners of his eyes. 

Sebastian looked just as tired, even after they had eaten. Though he had been simply standing on the cliff most of the day, it had been scorchingly hot, enough to give a man sunstroke. 

_At least I had the wind to cool me off,_ David thought to himself, trying with difficulty to ignore the way Sebastian's shirt clung to his chest with sweat. 

Sebastian grinned tiredly at him. "Had enough exercise for one day?" 

David nodded. "I don't think I could ever get to sleep though. I'm still on edge from watching for Cliffdiver." 

Sebastian paused for a moment, then got a suspiciously cunning look on his face. "How would you feel about one more lesson for today?" He asked. 

"Will it be difficult?" David asked, not sure if he could handle it even if it wasn't. 

Sebastian shook his head. "Nope. This is a cool-down technique. I think we could both use it about now." 

"Okay," said David amiably. It sounded reasonable. 

Sebastian walked over to where the Skybax were roosting and murmured something to Cliffdiver that David didn't catch. The great dinosaur roused himself and gently nudged Freefall, relaying the message in Saurian. 

Sebastian motioned for David to come to him at the edge of the cliff. When they were both at the very edge, they looked over to the black water far below them. 

"Here's what we do," Sebastian said softly, evidently too tired to even adopt his usual teaching volume. "The birds are already undressed for the night, which is good. We don't want them in their saddles for this. Now, this is very simple. All you have to do is get onto your bird bareback and hold on as tight as you can. With a name like Freefall, your bird is bound to be good at this. Oh, and take off your shirt." 

Startled, David stared dumbly as Sebastian thoughtlessly shucked off his shirt, tossing it back towards the fire. He looked at David expectantly and after a moment they were both shirtless. 

"What are we doing, exactly?" David asked. 

"We're going for a swim," said Sebastian nonchalantly. And before David could question him further, Cliffdiver ambled up to them and Sebastian leaped effortlessly onto his back. With a final grin at David, the two of them literally fell off the edge of the cliff. 

David watched, heart in his throat, as the two plummeted towards the water's surface. At the very last second, Cliffdiver flared his wings and positioned himself as though he were going to set down on the water like a duck. But instead of alighting gently on the surface, he simply kept going and disappeared into the black deep. In a few moments David watched the tiny figure of Sebastian wade out into shallower water as Cliffdiver re-emerged from the waves, waddling onto the bank and shaking himself in an almost dog-like fashion. 

David looked nervously at Freefall, but he could tell that the Skybax was eager to get in the water, and he didn't have the heart to disappoint his partner. So he mounted, clutching at Freefall's bare skin as tightly as he dared, and shut his eyes in fear as the Skybax simply let go of the edge of the cliff and let himself fall. 

The few seconds of freefall were the most exhilarating, mind-numbingly terrifying, life-affirming seconds of his life to this point. He could virtually feel the adrenaline pumping into every vein, making his blood rush with the same intensity and roar as the wind rushing past his ears. 

And then there was the sudden snap of opening wings and the welcome soothing coolness of water against his skin. He kicked away from Freefall and paddled towards where he thought the beach was until he felt his feet hit solid ground. He stood, the water coming to about his waist, and looked over at Sebastian, who was smiling triumphantly. 

"You did it David!" He whooped, pumping a fist into the air. Freefall echoed the sentiment with a crow of his own as he dove back into the water to join Cliffdiver in what appeared to be a splashing contest. 

Sebastian lowered his arm, his grin relaxing into a more sedate smile. It took David a few seconds to realize that he was staring. Sebastian standing there, with his hair wet and shining with pure white highlights in the moonlight, with water dripping from his face, over his lips and down his chest, looked... God-like. 

Sebastian stepped towards him, noticing his silence, and suddenly they were very close. David found himself strangely aware of his own breathing, slightly ragged from the intensity of the fall. It seemed loud in his ears, a strange counterpoint to the gentle lull of the waves washing on the beach. 

He suddenly felt another's breath on his face. It was Sebastian, close enough to him now that their faces were mere inches apart. His eyes were gently closing, his lips moving inexorably toward David's own... 

And they kissed, coming together like a gentle sigh. Feeling as though he were in a dream, David couldn't seem to make himself fight it. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation as one of Sebastian's hands came to rest on the back of his neck, pulling him closer and forcing the kiss to deepen. He didn't protest as Sebastian gently slipped his tongue into David's mouth, controlling the kiss with an expert skill that David had never before encountered. He had been kissed before but never, _never_ like this. 

Slowly David realized that Sebastian was moving him, pushing him downwards to sit in the water, leaning over him and pushing him backwards. He felt his shoulders meet the granulated smoothness of the beach sand, felt the waves lapping at his hips, just coming to the tips of his fingers where they were braced against the sand, the last support keeping him partially upright. 

Sebastian's lips moved gradually away from David's mouth, along the edge of his jaw and down his neck. One of his hands gently trailed down David's chest, amazingly reminiscent of the dream that had been haunting him the past several nights. 

Sebastian's lips left off his collar bone and returned to David's own, like coming home, bringing with them a sweetness that David found himself quickly becoming addicted to. They were pressed very closely together, and their bare torsos brushed against each other, a delicious skin-on-skin contact. 

The touch started a certain heat in David's chest and he felt it rise into his throat and develop into a deep, needy, and entirely involuntary moan. And that, more than anything else, finally brought home to him the reality of the situation. 

He panicked. Thrashing, he scrambled out from beneath Sebastian, struggling to his feet and backing away. He kept moving backward until his back hit solid stone, and then he leaned against it, trying to regain his bearings. 

Sebastian, for his part, looked rather surprised and a little miffed at David's hasty departure. "Is something wrong?" he asked. 

"I... We were... It... Almost... No, I..." David knew he was babbling, but he couldn't seem to think. It was like he had just woken up from a dream and was still disoriented. 

"I... I just... I'm going to go sleep now," he said lamely, motioning desperately for Freefall to come to him. 

Sebastian got there first. He put a hand gently on David's arm and looked at him with concern in his eyes. 

David found himself wishing that the hand would go away. He didn't want Sebastian touching him. It made him think of- Made him think- 

"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked softly. "I'm sorry if I scared you or something." 

David licked his lips nervously, unable to forget the taste of Sebastian's kiss. It lingered on his tongue, driving him crazy. "I-I'm fine," he said finally. "I just... I can't..." 

"You don't want to?" 

"No, I want to, it's just..." 

_What the Hell?_ David thought. _Did I just say that? Where did that come from? I don't want to do... that with him, do I? _

...Do I? 

Sebastian chuckled and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Let's go sleep now, hm? You'll feel better in the morning, and then you can think about this more easily. Sound good?" 

David nodded, unable to do much else. The Skybax finally reached them and waded onto the shore. They mounted up and let their respective partners carry them back into the sky. 

  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
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	8. Day 4

Training  
Chapter 8 - Day 4

  
  
------------------  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

Note: I had to change the amount of time that the cadets spend in training with White Riders. It's now down to one week, because frankly, I don't have enough material for two.   
------------------

The dream was different that night. This time he was submerged to his shoulders in cool water, lying on his back on a beach in the moonlight. His lover was a comfortable weight on top of him and he sighed, closing his eyes and reveling in the pleasure of it.

There was nothing between them but water; both were quite nude, and everywhere their flesh contacted burned sensuously, reviving the fire in David's veins even as the cool water soothed his flesh. The sharp contrast of it was nearly painful.

Sebastian leaned down over him, his lips against David's neck, and murmured something. David couldn't hear what he was saying, but he could feel the lips moving against his skin. He raised one hand, lifting it to Sebastian's head and tangling it in his lover's hair. God, it was so soft. He stroked it slowly, marveling at its texture and fluidity.

Sebastian's head lifted once more, grinning at David's preoccupation. He placed one of his own hands at the base of David's neck and slowly, sensuously, dragged it down the length of his body, trailing his fingertips against David's skin, coming closer and closer to reaching the source of the burning heat that David felt between them.

And once again, he woke up.

David had Freefall saddled and had mounted before he was even fully awake. The Skybax seemed to sense his need, and took off without question, gliding easily into the still morning darkness.

They set down on the opposite side of the canyon, just out of sight of their camp. Wearily, David dismounted and sat near the edge of the chasm, one hand idly stroking the side of Freefall's leg.

"What am I going to do?" he asked softly.

Freefall turned his great head towards David, looking at him down the length of his beak. "What, exactly, is your problem?" he asked in Saurian. "Do you dislike Sebastian?"

"No." David hesitated, struggling to put his feelings into words. "It's just that, well, back home they don't really... I mean, people don't like it when other people are gay."

"Gay?" asked Freefall.

"People who like other people of the same gender," David clarified. "It's not socially acceptable in the place where I used to live. I'm not even sure if I like guys, let alone if I'm willing to deal with that kind of pressure."

"No one will dislike you for your preferences in Dinotopia," said Freefall.

"My family will," David muttered.

"You should do what will make you happy," Freefall said with calm logic. "That is the most important duty you have. First make yourself happy. Only then can you bring happiness to those around you."

"I guess you're right," said David. "The only problem is, how am I supposed to know what will make me happy? I mean, do I really want to be with Sebastian? Heck, I don't even really know what his intentions are, do I?"

"What will you do?" asked Freefall.

David sighed. "Well, if he makes another move on me, I'll... I'll see how I feel then. I promise, when he does, I'll talk to him. Okay?"

Freefall nodded decisively, as if that settled it, while in reality, David felt more unsettled than ever. Was Sebastian even going to make another move? It seemed likely. Did David _want_ him to make another move? That was the question, wasn't it? David couldn't bring himself to find the answer.

"What does he even see in an indecisive wimp like me?" David asked himself as he mounted Freefall.

The sun was just rising when he got back to the camp, and Sebastian was already up. His mentor smiled at him, as though nothing had happened between them the previous night.

"You ready for today's lesson?"

David nodded, not exactly relishing another day of the kind of intense exercises he had had yesterday. Two days in a row might just be a bit too much.

Sebastian must have seen his expression. His grin widened. "How about this: We spend the morning doing our latest exercise with Cliffdiver chasing you, and then after lunch we can do something easy. Sound good?"

David heaved a releaved sigh and nodded. He mounted Freefall and prepared himself for a rigorous morning.

By lunchtime, David and Freefall had finally gotten the hang of the exercise. It was all about teamwork. Freefall had to rely on David to steer him to where the ball was going to be, while Freefall himself scanned for Cliffdiver and called a warning if he was coming too close. The trick was in the cooperation. David realized sheepishly that this was probably what he was supposed to be learning from the exercise all along.

He sat down with Sebastian around the remains of the previous night's campfire, feeling rather triumphant. He could tell from the look on his mentor's face that Sebastian was proud of him.

"You finally figured it out," Sebastian said happily.

David nodded. "It was pretty simple, in retrospect. I'm just not used to flying without Freefall watching where we're going."

"Well, you'll have to get used to it. In a battle situation, he's the one who needs to be looking out for enemy attacks. So you're the one who has to guide him."

David nodded, and Sebastian stood. "Now," he said, "we agreed on something easy for the afternoon, right?"

The afternoon exercise turned out to be as easy as Sebastian promised, but loads of fun. Basically, Sebastian and Cliffdiver took off as fast as they could down the canyon, and David and Freefall simply had to try to follow and keep up. It was exhilarating. By the end of the day, David was sure his face was windburned, but it had been worth it.

As he lay down to go to sleep that night, it occurred to him that Sebastian hadn't approached him all day. At least not about... David wasn't sure whether that was comforting or disconcerting.

"'Night David," he heard Sebastian murmur from the other side of the fire; his mentor was still sitting up, staring out over the edge of the canyon.

"Goodnight Sebastian," he replied.

There was a long moment of silence, and David had nearly drifted off when he heard Sebastian speak.

"Idiot," his mentor muttered. His voice sounded particularly annoyed; David was unused to hearing that tone from him. At first he gathered himself to reply, thinking that Sebastian was talking to him, but Cliffdiver answered him first.

"Are you brooding _again_?" the Skybax asked in Saurian.

"Maybe." Sebastian sounded defensive.

"By all that is sacred, _why_? You cannot keep doing this. It is not healthy for your mind, or for your emotions."

"Easy for you to say," Sebastian muttered.

Cliffdiver gave the Saurian equivalent of a gusty sigh. "So what's wrong _now_?" he asked. David, trying his hardest not to give an indication that he was awake, listened intently. He got the feeling that Sebastian and Cliffdiver had had this conversation more than once before.

"I just feel like such a pervert," Sebastian said, and David could hear the controlled frustration in his voice. "I mean, he's just a kid. He may not be much younger than me, but he's definitely not ready for any kind of relationship. You can tell." Opening one eye, David saw that Sebastian had put his face in his hands.

"It's not fair. Maybe I've just been too lonely lately. It's not like I've had any serious relationships lately either."

Cliffdiver was silent for a moment, but David could feel that the great dinosaur was pondering what to say. Saurians, unlike most people, tended to think before they spoke.

"Are you after him merely for the desires of the flesh?" the Skybax asked eventually.

"No!" said Sebastian vehemently. "Of course not. No. Definitely not. If that were it, I could probably bed anyone on the squadron. Lord knows any number of them have been trying to get there for ages. But... no. I think I really care about him, strange as that may seem. I mean, just look at him."

David closed his eye hurriedly as he felt their gazes shift to him.

"You have to admit," Sebastian was saying, "that his cluelessness is adorable. And he's just... so young. I spirit, I mean. He's untainted by the rest of this world. He's different. Exotic, I guess. Maybe it's just because he's an outsider, but he's so... so... vital. Dynamic. Not like everyone else here, who are so stuck in the same patterns that it feels like they'll be caught there forever. No, I like him because he's new. Something I haven't seen before."

Again, Cliffdiver's silence was long and weighted. When he finally spoke, his words sent a shiver through David.

"What you describe," the Skybax said, "and the feeling with which you describe it. It sounds as though you are speaking of love."

David dared to once again crack an eye open to gauge Sebastian's reaction, and found that his mentor looked startled.

"I don't know," said Sebastian softly. "Perhaps you're right."

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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	9. Day 5

Training  
Chapter 9 - Day Five

  
  
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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

Note: I just noticed that I changed the spelling of "Skybacks" to "Skybax" about midway through the fic. Anyone know what the real spelling is supposed to be? Oh, and I apologize for the fact that this chapter is crap. Ah well. At least it's longer.   
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The next morning, David knew that he had dreamed of Sebastian again, but he couldn't remember anything specific. His thoughts were too chaotic, too unsettled for anything coherent. Instead of waking on his own this time, Sebastian had had to shake him out of sleep. For a moment, David had looked up into his eyes and found himself caught, unable to breathe.

But it had only lasted a second, and then Sebastian, seeing him awake, had backed off to get the lesson ready.

David yawned, stretching, and tried to clear the last traces of weariness from his mind. His gaze wandered over to Sebastian, who was already dressed in his flying gear. Suppressing another yawn, he quickly put on riding leathers and grabbed his helmet. He was never at his best first thing in the morning.

When he finally finished getting ready and had prepared Freefall, he looked expectantly over at Sebastian. Then he saw what the man was holding and groaned.

"The blindfold again?"

Sebastian nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, but don't worry. It's not for you this time. This time it's for Freefall."

David felt Freefall shift uneasily next to him and heard him squawk nervously. He held a hand out and petted the Skybax's haunch to calm him. "You're going to blindfold Freefall?" he asked skeptically.

Again Sebastian nodded. "You proved yesterday that you two could still fly if David was giving the directions. Now it's time to put that to further test. Don't worry, I'll let you try it out a little bit first before I give you an assignment. This is about trust."

He must have seen David's still skeptical look, because he grinned. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to either of you."

David tried to return the smile, but he felt something lurch in the pit of his stomach at Sebastian's words and the tone of voice in which they were said. It made him profoundly uncomfortable. To distract himself from the unwelcome sensation, he reached out and took the blindfold, turning back to Freefall.

"You okay with this, Buddy?" he asked. Freefall eyed the blindfold warily, but nodded. Carefully, David secured the large strip of black fabric over Freefall's eyes, patting the side of his Skybax's beak when he was finished.

He mounted up cautiously, then urged Freefall forward with a slight pressure of his legs. The Skybax waddled uncertainly to the edge of the ravine, then with his customary abruptness, fell off.

David gritted his teeth, his pulse hammering in his ears. He was sweating with the force of his concentration. He new that Freefall was depending on him to tell him when to come out of the dive. He knew that it wouldn't be hard to tell; he'd been with Freefall when the Skybax did it on his own hundreds of times. It had gotten to the point where he almost felt that he shared the Saurian's instinct for the exact right moment to pull up.

But sharing it was a bit different than having to come up with it on your own.

And yet... David _could_ feel it. He could feel the way their speed approached a certain point and then... there! He yanked on Freefall's reigns, and the Skybax pulled flawlessly out of the dive. David grinned to himself. He could feel now that it was the same as regular flying. The only difference was that instead of reacting to Freefall's motions, now he was causing them. The trick was to make sure it felt the same as a normal flight.

It was exhilarating. More than regular flying, David felt Freefall responding to his every movement, every directive. He knew that the Skybax was relying on him completely to fly them. If he so much as twitched the reigns one way, Freefall felt it and responded without hesitation. Soberly, David realized that in a true battle situation, that response time could be the difference between life and death.

When David finally began to loosen up and get the hang of flying on his own, he saw Cliffdiver, carrying Sebastian, suddenly swoop in front of him. A flash of color caught his eye, and when he looked down, he saw that Cliffdiver had ribbons tied to him. David grinned, nudging Freefall into pursuit, knowing what Sebastian wanted him to do.

He leaned down low on Freefall's neck in order to help the vibrations of his voice travel to the Skybax. "He's got ribbons!" he yelled, knowing that the wind snatched his voice even as he spoke. But the rumble of his communication was felt through the Saurian skin and Freefall called back his own wordless answer, clacking his beak in anticipation.

David grinned and pressed himself down against Freefall, giving chase.

Hours later, after a lunch break and another session of chasing ribbons blindfolded, Freefall and David finally set down on the cliff edge, the last of the colored fabric having been snatched from the back of Cliffdiver's saddle.

David hurried forward to take the blindfold off his mount, stroking Freefall's beak comfortingly.

"There now," Sebastian called over from where he was removing Cliffdiver's saddle, "that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Not at all," responded Freefall. David looked at the Skybax and chuckled. Freefall may have been acting calm, but he could see the rigidly tensed muscles that told a different story. He stroked Freefall's neck, trying to massage the tension out of him a little bit. Truth be told, David wasn't much better - he could feel his own body vibrating like a harpstring. The drill had been fun, but it had also required some serious concentration. Not being able to rely on Freefall's judgement for flying had been like lacking a limb. Trying to catch ribbons at the same time had been more difficult than he'd thought.

David had just finished putting away Freefall's gear when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Geeze, you're really tense," said Sebastian, sounding worried. "Why don't you go lie down, I'll give you a massage."

David felt his heart spasm slightly at the thought of Sebastian's hands on him outside of his dreams. "N-no, that's alright, I'm fine," he stuttered.

"Nonsense," said Sebastian firmly. "I can feel how tense you are." He still hadn't removed his hand from David's shoulder. "Take off your shirt and go lie down. This will be good for you."

Not really wanting to, but unable to think of a way to decline the offer without sounding childish, David did as he was told. Facing away from the fire which Sebastian was now lighting, he pulled off first his riding leathers and then his shirt, stowing them next to the base of the canyon wall where it continued up from their ledge. Then, still not looking over at Sebastian, he lay down on his pallet, burying his face in his pillow to hide the heavy blush on his face.

He didn't hear Sebastian approach, and so gasped in startlement when he suddenly felt warm hands descend on his back, kneading his muscles forcefully.

Despite his misgivings, the massage was just what David needed. He could feel his muscles beginning to loosen and unknot under Sebastian's undeniably talented hands. His cheeks burned with shame as he felt himself growing hard against his pallet. There was no escaping the comparison of this situation to his dream. But Sebastian's hands on his back were real this time, the pleasure of skin against skin even sharper waking than it had been in his subconscious.

David closed his eyes, trying to relax, trying not to imagine what it would be like if he turned over, reached up, and brought Sebastian's lips down to meet his own. Nope. Definitely wasn't going to think about that. Not at all. David bit back a moan. He took deep breaths, trying to calm his libido.

For a few more minutes, the massage went on, Sebastian's fingers seeking out and neutralizing every knot, every muscle pain. The man certainly had very talented hands. And then suddenly they paused. David realized that between his exhaustion from adrenaline withdrawal and his deep breathing, he had nearly fallen asleep.

He was about to sit up and apologize when he felt the soft tickle of hair on the back of his neck. It wasn't much, barely noticable, but enough to make him pause. Then he heard the soft inhalation of breath, and knew what was happening. Sebastian was taking in his scent. It was a strangely intimite gesture, and caused a now familiar quivering sensation in David's stomach. He waited a moment until Sebastian had drawn back, then cleared his throat to let the White rider know that he was awake.

Sebastian patted him once on the back in a companionable fashion and got up, going to dig some food out from their provisions. "Ready to eat?" he said. His voice was oddly rough, and he cleared his throat.

David sat up, drawing his knees to his chest to hide his still-present erection. "Sure. I guess. I was practically asleep." He yawned. "You're really good at that," he admitted. "Massage, I mean."

Sebastian grinned, tossing him a wrapped package of bread and greens. "It's a personal talent. I take a lot of pride in that particular skill."

They ate for a few minutes in silence, before David, thinking of the conversation he had overheard between Sebastian and Cliffdiver the previous night, finally broke it.

"So... I feel like even though we've been training together for so long, I don't really know that much about you. I mean, everyone seems to know me and Karl and my Dad, what with us being new arrivals. But... I don't know anything about you."

"Well that's a relief," said Sebastian. Seeing David's raised eyebrow, he laughed. "Most cadets, especially those who come from flight families, grow up with tales of the White Squad and all its riders. Not all of which are true. You'd be amazed at some of the bizarre stories that people tell about us."

David blushed, remembering how Romana had been so ready to gossip about the White Riders. "So," he said, "tell me about yourself, then."

Sebastian smiled, but it was a different smile from the one he usually wore. David was surprised to see that he looked wistful. "I was left on the cliffs as a baby. I never really knew who my parents were. One of the riders found me and brought me to Canyon City. She was technically my guardian, but really the whole city raised me. I was kind of the riders' little mascot." Sebastian smiled fondly at the memory, and David marveled at this unexpected side of his new friend.

"I thought you said you had siblings?" David said, remembering their conversation a few days earlier.

"Good memory," Sebastian complimented. "Yeah, sort of. The woman who 'adopted' me had two daughters. So I came to think of them as my sisters."

David smiled. "So, I guess it must have been pretty easy for you to pass the test, if you had already hung around the place so long and watched all the other riders."

Sebastian grinned, still looking far away. "Well, sort of. You see, there were sort of... complications."

David was intrigued, but didn't interrupt, waiting for Sebastian to continue.

"You see, I used to hang out on the cliffs an awful lot. Still do, when I can find the time. But spending so much time hanging around with the Skybax was a little unusual, and because of that, I bonded to Cliffdiver before I was even old enough to consider training, let alone taking the test."

David was rapt. "So what did you do?"

Sebastian shrugged. "They sped me through the training program, even though I was young for it. Since I had seen most of it so much, it really wasn't that much more difficult for me than it would be for a normal cadet. And then I passed and officially got to ride Cliffdiver. Good thing too, we're made for each other, aren't we buddy?" He called this last over to Cliffdiver, who was nestled half-asleep next to a snoring Freefall. The Skybax squawked non-commitally.

Sebastian chuckled at his mount. "So anyway, that's how I acheived a post this high so young. I just happened to get there a bit earlier. What about you? What was your initial training like?"

Surprised to be asked the question, David sat up a little more, rebracing himself against the canyon wall. "Well, to be honest, it didn't really go that well. I sort of failed it."

"I'd heard about that," said Sebastian. "So, what was it like?"

"Terrifying," admitted David. "You have no idea. I mean, I felt like... Like I was letting everyone down. My brother, Marian, but most of all... Most of all I was letting down myself, you know? I felt worthless, like nothing I ever did ever worked out. Like I would be nothing by a failure the rest of my life." David found he was surprising himself by how much he was admitting.

"So what made you try again?" asked Sebastian softly.

David frowned. "I'm not sure. Suddenly I just thought... I thought, 'You've run away from enough things in your life, David. You know you can be a rider. You know you have the determination. You just have to make those Skybax feel it too.' So I went back. And I stood there, and in my mind I kind of dared them to come get me. And still no one came. And I could feel the despair just starting to encroach on me again, and suddenly there was Freefall." David smiled fondly at the memory. "If it weren't for him, I don't know what I would have done."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Sebastian met his eyes across the campfire. "Anyone would be lucky to be your partner, David. Freefall was just smart enough to snap up the chance first. He saw the potential in you that I see. Someday David, probably someday soon, you will be a _great_ rider. Better than me, better than your friend's father. You will be the best. I can feel it."

David blushed at the compliment. "Yeah, well. Thanks for the sentiment. I wish I had as much confidence in myself as you seem to."

He looked up in time to catch a very curious half-smile on Sebastian's face. It was another expression he had never seen before. This seemed to be the night for that.

"That will come," said Sebastian. "That will come. Now, let's sleep, shall we? I have an all new exercise for you tomorrow."

David lay down on his pallet and closed his eyes, wondering what the next day would bring.

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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
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	10. Day 6

Training  
Chapter 11 - Day Six

  
  
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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **  
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That night David's dream went a step further. He was drowning in a smothering heat by the time it came, an intense pleasure/pain that left him completely breathless. He cried out, grasping at Sebastian's arms and clutching him so tightly that he wondered that he did not draw blood. He whimpered, unsure of how this was supposed to continue, but knowing only that he wanted, needed _more_.

He managed enough coherency to gasp out Sebastian's name before he was caught up in the movement, in the incredible ecstasy of being taken...

When David awoke, it was all he could do to breathe, let alone move. After a few seconds of gulping air into his lungs, he forced himself to calm down, to take deep breaths. His next problem was dealing with the uncomfortable state of his body.

He closed his eyes, trying to think of anything but the dream. _Oh God. Think of... drowning. Think of being wrecked in that plane, sinking towards the ocean floor. Think of the despair when you thought Dad was dead. Think of cold, water closing in over your head..._

Finally, he felt his unruly hormones beginning to subside and breathed a sigh of relief. It was early yet; it looked as though it would still be dark for another half an hour or twenty minutes, at least. He rolled over onto his stomach.

With a deep, gusty sigh, he buried his face in his pillow. His face was hot with embarrassment. _Why is this happening to me?_ he thought miserably. _I don't want to be lusting after my teacher! Even if it is mutual._ If possible, that thought made him blush even more.

_What am I going to do? I can't keep avoiding this. It's only a matter of time before I start talking in my sleep or something. Jesus. What a mess._

Resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to get any more sleep, David stood and began to stretch in preparation for the exercises of the day. His muscles were less sore than they had been most other mornings, no doubt thanks to Sebastian's little massage the previous evening. David didn't even want to _think_ about that.

By the time Sebastian got up, David was wide awake and composed enough to face him. Sebastian smiled sleepily at him as he dug a little food out of his backpack for breakfast. David had already eaten.

They started on their dawn flight around the canyon without having spoken a single word to each other. David smiled at the now familiar but still appreciated beauty of the rosy colors lighting up the stone and water. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen a sunrise before coming to Dinotopia. That plane crash may have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

The sun rose, and David could tell right off that it was going to be another scorching day.

When they returned to the campsite after their usual morning flight, Sebastian surprised David by instructing him to wait while he took off once again. He stood nervously, trying not to fidget too much, until finally Cliffdiver reappeared with Sebastian. Clutched in the Skybax's talons were several enormous hoops, probably at least seven or ten feet in diameter.

David stared as Cliffdiver dropped them on the ledge before setting down himself. Sebastian slid off his mount's back and grinned what David was beginning to be able to distinguish as the, 'I'm about to make you do something difficult' grin.

"Where did you get those?" David asked. "And what are they for?"

"These," said Sebastian, lifting up one of the huge rings, "are kept in an alcove further down the rock face. There are some at every training site. They're called hoops. They're made of a light wood found, as far as we know, only in Dinotopia. It's supple enough to be bent into rings and so light that I can pick up one of them and hurl it off this cliff if I need to. Which I will be doing shortly."

"...And we have to catch them?" David hazarded.

Sebastian's grin widened, making David distinctly nervous. "Nope," said the White Rider. "In fact, you may notice that these rings are just wide enough that if your Skybax folds his wings, he can fit through it."

"Oh no," moaned David, closing his eyes. "You can't be serious."

"Indeed I am," said Sebastian. "If you hit the hoop in a dive at the proper angle, you'll shoot right through it. That's what you're aiming for. If you happen to miss and get tangled in it, you fall and hit the water. Unpleasant, but not exactly deadly. Think you're up for it?"

David took a deep breath. "Does it really matter if I'm not? What the hell. Let's go for it."

Sebastian clapped him on the back. "That's the spirit! Okay! Mount up and let's get started!"

Though David was nervous about it, the drill proved to be easier than he had anticipated. After a couple crashes that left him and Freefall drenched, he finally got the hang of it. It wasn't hard. It was all about timing, and knowing how fast Freefall could move. After a while, he even came to enjoy it. Eventually they became so good at it that after they had passed through the hoop, Freefall could flare his wings and then catch the falling ring in his talons. Sebastian was ecstatic at this new development, and when they finally set down for lunch, he gave David an enthusiastic hug.

"You're amazing at this, David!" he crowed. "I just knew you had it in you to be a proper flyer! You're going to put all the other trainees to shame when the test comes, just you watch!"

David flushed at the praise, pleased that Sebastian had such confidence in him.

"And as a reward," Sebastian continued as he sat down and pulled food from their packs for lunch, "I'm giving you too the afternoon off."

David sat down, surprised. "Really?"

"Actually, no." Sebastian grinned. "But I am giving Freefall the afternoon off. You are getting an afternoon of strategy instead of physical training. Sometimes they ask you questions about it in the test, and just in case, I don't want you to be left behind in that area. Although-" and here Sebastian threw him a amused look, "-from what I heard, you could actually teach me a thing or two in that department."

And so for the afternoon they settled down on the rocks and went over battle formations. In the beginning it had taken David a while to realize that the Skybax squadrons never actually fought other winged formations the way two armies would. When they fought at all, it was generally against flights of Pteradons, or some other flying predators. Occasionally they battled terrestrial meat-eaters as well, but in all cases it was only to defend, and they never aimed to kill. It made strategy a little different, but it was simple enough for him to adapt what he had read of military history to these new guidelines.

If the hoops had been easier than he expected, then the strategy session was much more fun. In addition to getting to exercise his own love of the intellectual side of flying, he discovered that Sebastian was actually amazingly intelligent and a crafty general. And he hadn't been joking when he had said that he wanted to learn from David. He probed and prodded, asking so many detailed questions that David had to reach down to the very depths of his knowledge, pulling up things he hadn't even remembered knowing. And Sebastian would challenge him on things, sparking lively debates as each of them tried to defend their own position.

A large part of it also consisted of Sebastian throwing hypothetical situations at him and requiring David to come up with his own response to them. David immensely enjoyed stretching his own creative mind, trying to work with what was in front of him, devising schemes, flight patterns, and throwing in as many unorthodox tactics as he could. Many times in the course of their lesson - though maybe discussion was a more appropriate word - Sebastian looked genuinely impressed with his skill.

It was only when Freefall finally returned from his afternoon of gallivanting in the river with Cliffdiver that David finally noticed how late it had gotten. He had been so wrapped up, he hadn't even noticed that it had gotten dark.

Apparently, neither had Sebastian. "Whoa, I guess it's kind of late, isn't it?" Sebastian said, sounding surprised. "I'll light a fire and we can eat, and then we should get some sleep. We'll have to pack up and leave tomorrow evening."

Had it been that long already? David felt as though he had only arrived just yesterday. "Wow," he said, almost to himself, "is it already time to leave?"

Sebastian smiled softly at him as the fire sparked to life under his care. "I know what you mean. It feels like we just got here, doesn't it?"

David nodded and leaned his back against the rock wall of the canyon, taking a bite out of his supper. To his surprise, Sebastian walked over and dropped down next to him - usually his mentor sat on the other side of the fire. "It's been fun," Sebastian said softly.

"Yeah," David agreed. He suddenly realized with a pang that it was possible that he would never see Sebastian again after the test. Once they were placed and the White Squad left... the thought sent an unexpected wave of cold dread through him. So much so that he found himself speaking out loud without consciously deciding to do so.

"So then, tomorrow may be the last day that I ever get to see you, huh?"

Sebastian looked over at him, his eyes serious. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, unless I get into the White Squad... I mean, you know, you'll be leaving and all that..." David was finding it very hard to keep calm with Sebastian so close to him.

"You will get into the White Squad," Sebastian said with such conviction that David was startled. "I know how skillful you are, and you _will_ be in the White Squad. I promise you that."

David looked over at him, wishing he could be as certain of himself as Sebastian seemed to be. He moved forward slightly to where his pallet was layed out and lay down. "I guess we ought to sleep, huh?" he said and heard Sebastian make sounds of agreement behind him.

A moment later David gasped as he felt Sebastian lowering himself to a resting position behind David, slinging one arm over his waist and up across his chest. David tried to say something, but found himself speechless.

"Please," said Sebastian. His voice was soft and sadder than David had ever heard it. "After tomorrow you'll never have to see me again if you don't want to. I know this is really selfish of me, and I promise I won't do anything, but please, just once-"

"It's okay," David heard himself say, hardly believing his own words. "I understand. It's alright."

'Idiot,' David thought at himself, but there was no conviction in it. Because he did understand. It was possible that he would never see Sebastian again even if he _did_ want to. And a part of him was finally starting to accept that this felt really good. Somewhere along the way he had stopped fighting himself and just given in to the inevitable. After all, he had been dreaming about this and more for a week now, hadn't he?

David closed his eyes and fell asleep feeling the comforting warmth of Sebastian against his back.

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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	11. Day 7 and Return

Training  
Chapter 12 - Day Seven and Return

  
  
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**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **  
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Surprisingly, David's dreams that night were much tamer than usual. They were still of Sebastian, still of intimacy, but the urgent flavor had gone from them. Instead it was simply intimate, tender, and affectionate. David awoke to Sebastian's arm around him still, and a slight feeling of wonder that such a thing had come to him.

_But,_ he reminded himself, _it's ending here. Most likely. I mean, even if I did manage to get into the White Squad by some miracle, it's not like we could just be together so easily, is it? I mean, I'm sure the Squad gets divided up a lot. They're so much in demand. I bet I get lumped in with whoever else gets chosen to train with White. IF I get in at all, that is._

He looked down at the fingertips resting on his breastbone. _It's impossible, isn't it? ...And how did I even come to be considering this? Have I changed that much?_ He had, he realized. For some reason he was no longer thinking in terms of whether he wanted anything to happen. Because he knew that he did. He was only now regretting that it couldn't.

_I should probably get up,_ he thought, but he couldn't bring himself to break the embrace. In the end he lay still, half-dozing, until Sebastian finally began to stir and lifted the arm away to stretch.

David rose and prepared himself for the morning ride without making eye contact with Sebastian. Revelations or not, he was still completely embarrassed about what had happened. And a little scared as well. He settled his saddle on Freefall's back and mounted up, glancing furtively over to Sebastian, who was almost ready as well.

Sebastian flashed him a small smile as he mounted and gave the signal for them to take off.

_This is the last time I'll see the canyon like this,_ David thought to himself. He took special care to take in the beauty of the place, one last time. _One thing's for certain; regardless of what happens, this place definitely changed my life._

They ate breakfast quietly upon their return to the ledge, until David finally became restless. "What are our plans for today?" he asked.

"I figured we should just take it easy," said Sebastian. "We'll just do some leisurely flights around the canyon for the morning, just to keep you two limber, and then we'll eat lunch and go. It will take us a while to get back, and you'll want a full night's sleep for the test tomorrow, so it's probably best to leave as early as possible."

"Alright," David agreed, remounting Freefall. He paused for a moment, nervous. "Are you sure I have what it takes to do this? The test I mean," he said.

Sebastian grinned at him, though it looked a little more tired than usual. "I'm certain, David." He took a deep, fortifying breath and perked up a little. "Now come on! Let's go!"

Cliffdiver took off from the ledge, and David nudged Freefall to follow.

The packing went swiftly and they started on the long ride back. Unlike during his arrival, David stayed awake for the flight home and took in the scenery. The canyon went on for miles and miles, farther than he had thought. He eventually discovered that it was in fact a smaller offshoot of the enormous ravine that housed Canyon City.

By the time they got home, darkness had already fallen and the city seemed to be asleep. They landed on the central cliff and unsaddled their Skybax, placing the heavy saddles in a nearby shed built for that purpose. Returning from the shed, David gave Freefall a friendly pat on his haunch. "Rest well, Friend," he said. "We've got a big day tomorrow."

Freefall nodded and dropped off of the cliff. Next to David, Sebastian was also seeing Cliffdiver off.

After the birds left, the two men walked in companionable silence towards the dorms. David tried to keep the pace as slow as possible, but it still seemed a very short walk before they arrived at his door. He stopped and turned to Sebastian. "Well, we're here, I guess."

Sebastian took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "So we are. Well, I guess this is it then." He looked for a moment as though he were debating something, then stuck out his hand. "It was a pleasure working with you, David."

"You too." David took the hand, shook it, then used it to pull Sebastian into a hug. The White Rider seemed startled at first, but quickly returned the embrace with an unexpected fierceness.

David smiled as they broke apart. "Goodnight," he said quietly.

Sebastian said nothing for a moment. David's eyes widened slightly as Sebastian lifted his hand to brush his fingertips across David's cheekbone. With a sad little half-smile, Sebastian leaned in and gave him a feather-light kiss, just the tiniest brush of his lips against David's own. When he pulled back, he was still smiling.

"Goodnight, David," he said, "and goodbye."

As David watched, Sebastian turned and left without another word. _So he's worried too,_ David thought. _He doesn't think I can get into the White Squad, or if I do, he realizes that we couldn't be together like he wants. So that's... that's the last I'll ever see of him, most likely. Alone, anyway._

With a sigh, David turned and walked into his dorm, flopping down on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, just staring and thinking, before he finally got up and changed out of his riding clothes, sliding under the sheets.

As he drifted off, he hoped that he would not dream that night; he would have to be well rested for the test the next day.

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	12. Test

Training  
Chapter 12 - Test

  
  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

The morning dawned crisp and cold. David was awake before the first light, but that was more from habit than from nerves. Which was not to say that he wasn't nervous.

David paced around his tiny room, waiting for the sun to rise and the test to begin. His family was probably here, he thought. They probably arrived the previous day, before he had. He wondered if Karl had ended up coming, or if he was still angry.

He was sitting on his bed, reviewing tactics in his head when the trumpeting call came echoing through the cliffs. He hopped to his feet, the tension mounting in his body, and stepped out to where the cadets traditionally gathered. Oonu was also there and stood in a crisp, military pose with his hands behind his back, completely silent. David could read the pride in the stern man's features, and tried to use that to bolster his own confidence. It wasn't really working.

When they were all assembled, Oonu saluted them. "Breathe deep," he intoned. "Fly high," they all chorused back.

"Today is the day that you will take the test that determines your initial placement with in the ranks of the Skybax Corps," Oonu went on. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you how important it is. You have been well trained by the best in Dinotopia. Do your best on this test; that is all that we can ask of you. Cadets, call your mounts."

One by one, the trainees approached the cliff on which they had passed their first trial, their acceptance by the Skybax. With a raised arm, they called to their mounts, who came to them quickly, as nervous as their riders. As their mounts arrived, they followed Oonu's directions and lined up, mounted on the backs of their birds, on the straight edge of the cliff beside the outcropping.

David was last to call his mount, as usual. As he stepped up to the edge of the ravine, he searched the canyon walls for a sight of the pale white wings that had carried him so often. He smiled when he caught sight of Freefall and raised his arm. The Skybax had been watching for him, and dropped off of his ledge immediately, coming quickly to rest in front of David.

David mounted up and Freefall took his place at the end of the cadet lineup.

David felt the adrenaline flood through him, preparing himself for the announcement of the test's content. While Sebastian had mentioned that the test occasionally contained strategy and tactics some years, he had said nothing else about the actual physical flight test. And so David waited nervously, wondering whether he would be up to the task.

Oonu gestured behind him into the ravine, which was just visible in the light of the new dawn.

"This will be your test," he said. "If you look closely, you will see that many of the outcroppings in this ravine have a large wooden hoop attached to them. There are twelve in all. You are to fly through them, in order, on to the last one. At the final hoop there will be an attached ball light enough that any wind currents will blow it to one side or the other. Your Skybax is to snatch it from the hoop and carry it to the final cliff edge where the two of you will land.

"The judges are there." He pointed to an area of cliff about halfway along the course, where several uniformed riders were perched upon their own mounts, their faces indistinguishable at this distance. From the color of their uniforms, it appeared as though there were one rider from each Squad. "Points are awarded based on how swiftly you complete the course," Oonu continued. "If you puncture the ball or hit any of the hoops, you will lose points. Each cadet will wait until he or she is called to begin, which will be done after a new ball has been secured at the last hoop. Does anyone have any questions on the procedure?"

None of the cadets indicated any questions. All of them seemed to be taking in the test requirements. David, for his part, was gaping.

_But... But... That's so easy! I could do that blindfolded! Hell, I practically have!_

"Well then cadets, let us begin the test. Cadet Connely, on my mark..."

David watched as Oonu started the first test, and stared in disbelief as she seemed to have trouble with it. She made it just barely through the first two hoops, but on the third one her mount's wingtip skimmed the side, causing him to plummet slightly before righting himself.

_But the hoops are stationary!_ David thought incredulously. _They're not even moving! How is that difficult?_

But his surprise increased as cadet after cadet seemed to have problems with the test, simple though it seemed. Everyone seemed to hit at least two or three of the rings along the way. About half punctured the ball at the end.

About halfway through the list, one cadet jarred a hoop so badly that he broke it from the cliff face. Though the cadet managed to recover and continue, he didn't bother wasting valuable test time to go back for the hoop.

David watched it fall for about a split second, taking in its path towards the Pteranodons territory, and the inevitability of it waking a huge flock and disrupting the whole test. His training kicked in without thought and he motioned Freefall off the cliff. The Skybax responded immediately and without hesitation, the reaction time of a week's worth of learning to trust David implicitly.

They glided smoothly down and, with no effort at all, caught the hoop before it had fallen much farther and swept upwards with it. It was only when they were nearing the top of the canyon that David even began to register what they had done. He glanced over at the judges and hoped that he would not lose points for moving out of turn. He directed Freefall back to the small ledge to which the hoop had been attached and had him set it down, flying back to the cliff where the rest of the cadets waited.

None of them said anything as he landed and returned to his place in line but Romana, positioned next to him, flashed him a wide grin.

Nothing was said about his action, save that Oonu informed them all that there would be a longer delay between this cadet's test and the next while the hoop was reattached. But it didn't take long and the testing continued as usual.

David shook his head as he continued to watch the cadets struggle through the exam. Romana, when her turn came, was the only one who didn't seem to have too much trouble. She went slower than all the other cadets had, but in doing so managed to avoid hitting any of the rings. When she returned to the cliff from the finish line, she was smiling widely, her face flushed with exhilaration and achievement.

Then it was David's turn. He forced himself to overcome his surprise at the test's apparent simplicity and concentrate, in case there was something about it that was harder than it seemed. But as Oonu gave the signal and he sped forward, swooping nimbly through the hoops, he couldn't help but wonder why the others had had such trouble. It seemed easy enough to him.

When he reached the end, the ball was just snapping to the side at the end of some breeze. He motioned for Freefall to aim for the string, and they yanked it neatly from the hoop, carrying it by the tether to the cliff and so leaving the ball completely intact.

When he returned to the starting cliff, the first thing he noticed was the surprise on everyone's face, including Romana's. Apparently no one had expected him to handle the test so easily, and given their own performance, David couldn't blame them. He set down on the edge a little sheepishly, and waited at attention for Oonu to tell them what to do next.

Their leader returned shortly, looking as official as ever, even though the test had been completed. "Cadets," he said, "you may do what you like with the rest of the day. Your placements will be announced at the evening meal tonight. You are dismissed."

He called his mount to him and left, heading towards the judges still sitting on the cliffside. For a moment the cadets remained as they were, but then most began to dismount. A few, not wanting company, took off into the ravine for a leisure flight. David, for his part, dismounted, patting Freefall's haunch.

"We did good, friend," he told him.

Freefall agreed, sounding please. "Breathe deep, my friend," he said.

"Fly high," David responded, watching as Freefall launched himself into the great abyss that was the canyon. He followed his mount with his eyes until Freefall was only a small white figure, undistinguishable from any other Skybax but for his paleness.

He was just turning to go back when he was nearly knocked over by Romana plowing into him with an excited hug. "Oh my God, David!" she bubbled, "That was amazing! I can't believe it! You were so wonderful!"

David grinned sheepishly. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, I was fine, I guess. But the test was just so easy. I didn't really see why everyone had so much trouble."

"Easy?" said Romana incredulously. "You thought that was _easy_?" She grinned suddenly. "Ah well, I guess it's only natural when you train under the leader of the White Squad."

David stopped cold. "The what?"

Romana again turned an incredulous expression on him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You mean you've been training with him all the time and you didn't _know_?! Sebastian is the leader of the White Squad! He's one of the most powerful men in Dinotopia! Certainly he's the most talented flyer..."

"Oh." David didn't seem to be able to form a coherent thought. "No, I didn't know."

Romana laughed loudly at this and threw an arm over his shoulder. "Oh my God! That's so funny! I can't believe it. You got some of the best training in all of Dinotopia, and you didn't even get to properly appreciate it!"

_Oh, I appreciated it,_ thought David to himself. _There's no doubt about that._

When he got closer to the dorms, he was surprised to see his father and brother come rushing towards him, happy grins on their faces. For all that he had thought about them earlier that morning, he had forgotten that they would be there.

He bid goodbye to Romana and followed them to the guest accommodations, where they met up with Marion. With a start, David realized that he hadn't thought about her in almost a week. She smiled warmly at him and gave him a hug. He returned it, surprised that he felt no returning heartache, no pang of regret at the knowledge that she wasn't his.

They started with trivialities, quickly catching up on each other's lives during their interval apart. Marion's eyes widened when he mentioned that he had been training with Sebastian, and he spent the next hour or so outlining his training. He left out the parts that involved his personal life, but there was still enough to keep the three of them enthralled.

When it finally began to get into the afternoon, Marion and Frank excused themselves to go get ready for supper. David was about to leave also, since it was Karl's room, when his brother stopped him.

"Hey David?" he said quietly. "Look, I just... I wanted to apologize, okay? For being a dick. I mean, about Marion. I care about her a lot, but I know you care about her too, and-"

David held up a hand, interrupting him. "It's okay. You were right. I was jealous of you. Yeah, I liked her, but not the same way you did. That you still do, I guess. I'm over it. Actually, I've met someone new, believe it or not." He smiled shyly. "I mean, I doubt it'll work out or anything, but I've realized that losing Marion to you is not the end of the world."

Karl grinned. "I'm happy for you, Dave. You'll have to tell me all about her. But later. Right now we have to get ready for dinner. See you there?"

David nodded. "See ya."

He walked back towards his own room, wondering what the evening would bring.

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	13. Consummation

Training  
Chapter 13 - Consummation

  
  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

David sat at the dinner table next to Romana and tried not to stare at Sebastian, who was sitting at a table near the front with the rest of the White Squad.

The Squad Leader. Didn't that just figure.

David put his head in his hands. As if it wasn't bad enough that he had fallen for his teacher. No, Sebastian had to be the _White Squad Leader_, one of the most powerful men in Dinotopia! Christ. His luck just couldn't get any worse.

He had already finished his food, and it sat like a hard lump at the bottom of his stomach. Even Romana, who had chatted to him at the start of the meal about her experience with Altara Atennon and questioned him relentlessly about his training with Sebastian, had now subsided, and was simply waiting nervously for supper to be over and the announcements to begin. David briefly wished for the support of his family, but they were sitting at the other end of the room, at a table reserved for guests, a table full of relatives that had come to watch the test and hear the assignments.

Finally, after an interminable wait during which David had somehow managed to convince himself that Sebastian had been deliberately withholding his true identity, Oonu stepped up to the front of the room. The entire dining hall quieted in seconds, without any prompting.

Oonu stood for a moment, looking over the assembled crowd. He was smiling.

"I have worked as cadet trainer with the latest batch of new recruits for a long time now, and I have every confidence in all of you. Trainees, you worked hard, and now you shall reap the fruits of your labors. Today you performed a test in front of the leaders of each Squadron-" the leaders stood to be recognized, and David found himself once again staring at Sebastian, "-and myself. You were awarded points based on this performance, and from these points you will be assigned to the Squadron in which you will begin your time as a true member of the Skybax Corps. All of you did your best, and we commend you for your effort. Now, we will begin reading the assignments, starting with the highest score and moving down. Cadets, would you please come stand in the front when your name is called. With the highest score, Cadet Scott, assigned to the White Squad..."

David was unable to stop himself from breaking into a huge grin as the room about him erupted into applause. So they hadn't deducted points for his impromptu rescue, then. And he'd made it. All his training with Sebastian had paid off, and now he was going to be in the White Squad, where he would see Sebastian every day-

He broke off that thought and stepped onto the raised dais at the front of the room, standing to attention next to Oonu. As he reached his position, he saw Sebastian step forward to meet him and hand him something - a bundle of some kind.

For a second their eyes met, and David felt a spark of electricity pass between them. Sebastian's gaze was intense, reminding David of the evening they had spent on the beach, half-submerged in water, fumbling towards something that David had not been ready for. The room seemed to fade around him, all the sounds dimming, as time slowed to a halt. All he was aware of was Sebastian. The look in the white rider's eyes made his knees weak, and he swallowed, struggling to remain standing.

Then Sebastian stepped away, and the real world rushed back. David looked down at the bundle in his arms. It was, he realized, a white riding uniform, the sign that he had graduated into the ranks of the White Squad. Turning his attention back to the room, he saw that Romana was being called as the second highest score, also assigned to the White Squad. She stepped up next to him, her face flushing as it did whenever she received some kind of honor, and was handed another white uniform by Sebastian.

One by one the other cadets were called up, and were handed their new uniform by the leader of the Squadron whose rank they had achieved. David and Romana had been the only two to make White Squad, and so Sebastian went back to his place among the white riders and clapped politely for the rest of the cadets as they received their assignments. He did not meet David's eyes again, and when the ceremony was over, David was too swarmed with congratulations to see him. By the time he found room to breathe, Sebastian had already left.

As soon as he could get away, David ran from the room out into the brisk evening darkness. He knew where the White Squad's barracks were, though he couldn't say what made him start in that direction. There was only an overwhelming need to find Sebastian, to talk to him. His feet fell one in front of the other, leading him inexorably towards the unknown.

When he reached the door to the barracks, he paused. Doubts assailed him. Why had he come here? What was he expecting to do, anyway? What was he going to say to Sebastian when he found him? _If_ he found him.

David took a deep breath and entered the building, not bothering to answer any of his own questions. A corridor stretched out in front of him, with doors lining the walls on either side. Each entrance had a small metal nameplate next to it, bearing the name of the occupant. The two doors closest to the entrance were unmarked, and David realized abruptly that they must be the rooms that were being prepared for him and Romana. They were part of this Squad now.

He realized that he was still clutching the uniform that Sebastian had presented to him at dinner. It was mostly a symbol, he knew, but it still felt somehow very powerful. He held it to his chest, trying to draw some sort of strength or comfort from it.

He tried to make his footfalls as quiet as possible as he crept down the hallway. Through the dim light of the rising moon he could just make out the names beside the doors. Finally, at the very end of the hall, he found the name he was looking for. Wondering once again what the hell he thought he was doing, David knocked on the door.

"Come in," came the soft reply. David took another fortifying breath and opened the door, stepping in and shutting it softly behind him.

Sebastian's room, while similar in design to those of the cadets, was much better furnished. The entire space was done in shades of dark emerald and a deep mahogany wood, from the heavy curtains framing the open window through which a soft breeze blew from the canyon, to the large dark dresser against the left wall, to the chest at the foot of the bed, to the large, queen-size bed itself, upon which Sebastian was currently sitting. The older man looked up at David's entrance, his expression one of surprise.

"David?" he asked softly.

David, for his part, couldn't think of anything to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind. "Did you rig the test?"

Sebastian looked incredulous. "What? Of course not! Why would I do something like that?"

David couldn't bring himself to look at Sebastian, and so kept his eyes firmly trained on the foot of the bed. "It's just... it was so easy!" he blurted. "I mean, any one of the exercises you had me do was harder than that test. And you must have known what the test would be like, so why...?"

He heard Sebastian sigh and the next thing he knew, felt the man's hands come to rest on his shoulders. It startled him enough into looking up and meeting Sebastian's eyes. What he saw there was faith. Faith tinged with sadness, and perhaps a small amount of hope as well, but faith and pride in him.

"I wasn't training you to take that test, David," Sebastian said softly. "I was training you to be the best flyer you could possibly be. And I think, perhaps, that I achieved that."

Unable to come up with a reply to that, David switched topics. "Why didn't you tell me you were the leader of the White Squad?" he asked.

Sebastian removed his hands from David's shoulders, again looking genuinely surprised. "You mean you didn't know? I would have thought that someone would have told you. But maybe that was for the best, anyway. Would you have reacted differently to me if you had known who I was?"

"Maybe," David admitted, though he was unsure what difference, exactly, it would have made. Would he have been more receptive to Sebastian's advances? Or less? Would he have been more willing to learn from this man, or more intimidated by his status? Obviously there was no way that he would ever know.

Sebastian moved back to the bed and sat down once again. "Is that why you came here?" he asked. "To ask me these questions?"

David shook his head, staring at the floor, suddenly as nervous as he had been before the test. "I don't know why I came here. I just... needed to see you."

Sebastian said nothing, and so David hazarded a glance up at him and found that he was smiling, and looking curiously at David. David felt trapped, but why that should be when he still had his hand on the doorknob, he couldn't fathom.

"Do you want to leave?" Sebastian asked. It wasn't a suggestion, merely a question of intent.

Again, David shook his head.

A slow smile spread across Sebastian's face, and he held out his hand. He did not move forward, nor say anything, simply sat with his arm extended, waiting. David felt himself drawn inexorably forward, unable to resist. With a slow inevitability, he took the final few steps towards Sebastian, placing his own hand into his mentor's. The uniform, which he had still clutched in one hand until this point, fell forgotten to the floor.

_This is real,_ David thought to himself, but the words didn't sink in. Even as Sebastian drew him forward, pulling him down to capture his lips in a sweet kiss, the words still did not make sense.

David found himself sitting beside Sebastian on the bed, felt Sebastian's hand against his neck, cupping his jaw as the older man gently and expertly kissed him.

_This is real._

Sebastian seemed in no hurry, moving tentatively as though asking permission before he made each new move. Slowly the hand on David's neck moved lower, caressing his body as it moved downwards, coming to rest on David's thigh and kneading the taut muscle there.

As though it was moving of its own volition, David was dimly aware of his own hand coming up to tangle in Sebastian's hair, feeling that - yes - the blond locks were indeed as soft as he'd imagined them in his dreams. He gulped, feeling Sebastian's tongue teasing at his lips, begging entry.

_This is real._

Even as Sebastian's tongue entered his mouth, David felt himself falling backwards, his back hitting the heavy emerald comforter. Sebastian's hands began to roam more freely, finding their way under the hem of his shirt and moving over his body with a familiar heat that David still remembered vividly from his dreams. But this was different. This was far, far better.

Sebastian pulled back very slightly, and David looked up at him, unable to do anything but stare. Intense brown eyes, hazy with passion, pierced David from the face of the man that lay on top him. The smoldering gaze was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and finally, _finally_, it sank in.

_This is real._

_Oh._

But by this point it was far too late to do anything about it, even if David had wanted to.

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	14. Reconciliation

Training  
Chapter 14 - Reconciliation

  
  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

This chapter has a bunch of different episodes. I hope the time changes don't get too confusing for you guys. 

David awoke slowly, for once emerging from sleep with the feeling of sunlight playing on his face. It was odd, because he was so used to waking up before dawn. And even in his old room, his window was on the wrong wall for the rising sun to hit his face.

But of course, he wasn't in his own room.

David opened his eyes and winced as his body painfully reminded him what exactly he had done last night. He turned his face into the pillow with a groan as his mind cheerfully presented him with the top ten most embarrassing things he had said or done while he and Sebastian were... David wasn't sure he could actually even think the words without dying from sheer embarrassment.

Turning his head back to the side (mostly because having a face full of pillow was making it difficult to breathe), he stared at the sleeping face of Sebastian. His lover. Oh God.

_It was worth it,_ David thought, and somewhat to his own surprise, realized that this was true. He had wanted this to happen for a long time, and now that it finally had, he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

_I slept with Sebastian. I had sex with my teacher._ It was a difficult concept to wrap his mind around, but he was managing. The comfort of a lightly tanned, muscular arm draped possessively over him helped to solidify the idea.

He scooted himself forward a few inches until he could feel Sebastian's bare skin against his own and snuggled as unobtrusively as he could manage against Sebastian's chest. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, relishing the musky tang that filled his nostrils.

There was a murmur from the body next to him, and the arm around him tightened. David couldn't see Sebastian's face, but he could tell that the other man was waking up.

"Good morning," Sebastian mumbled.

"Mm," David agreed, not trusting himself to talk without saying something ridiculous.

The arm that was around him moved up, and David felt the hand previously resting on his back come up to stroke his hair softly. "You okay?" Sebastian asked.

"Hurts a little," David admitted.

Sebastian chuckled lightly and kissed David's forehead. "It'll pass pretty quickly, don't worry."

There was a long moment of silence as the two of them took their time to work their way into full consciousness. The day after the test was generally treated as a holiday, so neither had a pressing need to get up. Which was good, David thought, because it was awfully warm here and he wasn't relishing trying to stand, anyway.

"I never got to thank you," Sebastian said finally.

David was caught off guard by this seemingly out-of-nowhere statement. "For what?" he asked.

"The test yesterday," Sebastian clarified. "Your little stunt, where you grabbed that hoop midair? That was fantastic. You have no idea how good you made me look."

David could feel himself blushing. "It was pretty easy compared to some of the things you had me do."

"Still," said Sebastian, "I'm very proud of you."

David looked up into Sebastian's eyes and smiled. Somewhere in the back of his mind lurked the thought that he should be freaking out after having woken up in a man's bed, but somehow he was just too relaxed and happy to freak out. It felt good to be where he was, and he wouldn't have changed it, even if he could have.

With a quick grin, Sebastian rolled on top of him, pinning him to the bed and kissing him deeply. "I'm glad you followed me last night," he said when he broke away.

"I am too," said David, reaching up with one hand to pull Sebastian's head down for another kiss.

That was when the door opened.

"David?" asked Karl, stepping into the room. "Are you in here? Someone said they saw you c- Holy shit!"

This last was of course directed at David and Sebastian, who were caught in what David would definitely have labeled a "compromising position." David felt like a deer caught in the headlights as he stared dumbly at his brother, who in turn stared back in shock.

Finally Karl shook his head, seeming to snap out of it, and covered his eyes, backing out of the door and slamming it behind him. "Jeeze! Jesus, sorry! Sorry," they heard before the door closed, shutting him out.

David closed his eyes in a heartfelt grimace. "Shit," he said.

Sebastian chuckled, still looking towards the closed door. "Hell of a way to find out." Then he looked down at David and frowned. "You okay?"

"No," said David. He opened his eyes and, seeing how worried Sebastian looked, tried to muster a smile. It was difficult. "Do you remember me telling you... about how preferences were, well, _are_ treated where I come from?"

"I remember you saying something about it," said Sebastian. "Something about how most people were exclusive, rather than just normal."

David closed his eyes again and felt Sebastian settle himself beside him, stroking his cheek with the back of one hand comfortingly. "It's worse than that," he said, trying to concentrate on the pleasant warmth of Sebastian's hand rather than the slightly disgusted look he had seen in his brother's eyes.

"Where I come from, where my family comes from, liking someone of your own gender is... not socially acceptable. To say the least. What my brother just walked in on was, to him, me doing something really perverted and... well, wrong."

When he at last opened his eyes, David saw that Sebastian looked astonished. "But... that's foolish!" said the older man. "Does he not know how these things work in Dinotopia?"

"I have no idea," said David. "Even if he does, I'm not entirely sure he'll care. That sort of prejudice is pretty deeply ingrained." He paused. "I should probably go talk to him."

Regretfully disentangling himself from Sebastian, he stood up, and found immediately that he had done so too quickly. His body reminded him that he'd had quite the exercise last night, and after all he didn't want to be standing quite so fast, did he?

He winced and just barely managed to keep himself from falling over. Holding still a few moments to steady himself, he then began to hunt for his clothes. Sebastian watched him dress in silence, and didn't say anything until he was nearly ready to leave.

"So," said the white rider, "what happened between us. Was this just a one time thing? Or will it happen again? ...Or what?"

David couldn't remember ever hearing this much nervousness in Sebastian's voice. It was endearing, really. Turning back towards the bed, he saw that Sebastian had propped himself up on one elbow and let the sheets slide down to his waist, exposing a delicious amount of bare skin. David took a few steps back towards the bed.

"Do you want this to happen again?" he asked seriously.

"Yes," Sebastian answered immediately and without hesitation.

David smiled and leaned down, giving Sebastian a light kiss. "Then it can happen again."

Sebastian stopped him one more time as he approached the door. "Hey David?"

"Yeah?"

"Let me know if you need any support talking to your family."

David grinned. "I will."

He went to look for his brother.

It didn't take him long to find the room in which Karl was staying, but he didn't enter it right away. It was not nerves that stalled him; he had prepared himself to confront his brother the entire way there. No, what halted him were the raised voices from inside the room. The door was open a crack, and from within, David could just make out the form of Marion sitting on the bed as Karl paced back and forth in front of her.

"A guy, Marion, a _guy_!" Karl was yelling. David winced.

"Yes, Karl," Marion replied patiently. "Don't you think you should be happy for him? It is good that he has found someone, isn't it?"

"You don't understand, Marion. David, my brother, was in that room, kissing a _guy_. He was... They were... They were naked! They've been sleeping together! My brother is sleeping with a god damned _guy_!"

"Yes Karl, so you've said." From the sound of her voice, Marion's patience was beginning to run thin. "So what's wrong with that?"

This seemed to throw Karl for a loop. He spluttered incoherently for a few moments before eventually saying, "Doesn't that even phase you? I mean, it's not exactly normal."

"Actually," said Marion, sounding surprised, "it is. I'm not entirely sure what has gotten you so worked up Karl, but in Dinotopia, men and women are encouraged to love indiscriminately, regardless of gender. From all your protestations, I take it that is not the case in the outside world?"

"No," said Karl, his tone rather deflated. "No, it definitely isn't. But... it's okay here?"

David couldn't hear her reply; he assumed she nodded.

"David always was one to embrace the Dinotopian customs," Karl muttered.

David decided that he had been eavesdropping long enough, and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Karl opened it. He looked surprised to see David; surprised, and a little annoyed. But he stepped aside to let David in.

"I'm sorry you had to walk in on that," David began. Although he had to admit, the bright side of the experience was that it saved him the trouble of telling his brother about his relationship with Sebastian.

Karl sat heavily next to Marion on one of the two beds in the room. David took a seat tentatively on the edge of the other one, facing them. "Are you angry?" he asked.

"I haven't decided yet," said Karl. "Right now I'm too busy trying to grasp the fact that you're sleeping with another man. ...You _are_ sleeping with him, aren't you?"

David could feel himself blushing as he nodded. "Yes. As of last night, actually."

Karl rolled his eyes. "Well, at least you didn't waste time before letting me know," he muttered sarcastically.

David put his head in his hands. It was far too early in the morning to deal with something like this, he thought. "I know that it kind of sucked for you to find out like that. Honestly, I have no idea how I'm going to tell Dad." He sighed. "It wasn't like I planned on this. It just kind of... happened. Sebastian and I sort of bonded during the whole training thing and it seemed really, I don't know, inevitable."

Karl stared at him in silence for a long time, until David began to feel vaguely uncomfortable.

"I'll tell you what," his brother said eventually. "I'll make a deal with you. If you go tell Dad right now about you and Sebastian, I'll try my best not to be upset about this."

"Really?" said David, surprised.

Karl nodded. "He should know. And if I know you, then you'd chicken out and not tell him if you didn't have any motivation."

This was probably true, David conceded. He held out his hand for Karl to shake. "Deal," he said.

"So," said Karl, "get out of here, then."

"What, _now_?"

Karl nodded. "I did say right now."

David gulped. "R-right. Let me just... Let me go get Sebastian. I think I want him to be there. Just for, you know, moral support."

Karl shrugged. "Whatever. Dad's in the room to our right. He should be awake by now."

David nodded and stood, "I'll... I'll just go now, then." He hurried out of the room.

Sebastian had apparently just finished dressing when David returned to the room. He looked surprised to see David back so quickly. "Are you finished already?" he asked.

David shook his head. "Karl wants me to tell Dad about our relationship. So I'm going to. But I was wondering if..." Despite Sebastian's promise earlier, David still felt nervous about asking. "-If you could maybe come with me? Like, now?"

Sebastian smiled brilliantly, which somehow made David feel slightly more relaxed. "Of course," he said easily. "Lead the way."

David did so, his nerves returning as they neared his father's room. Doubts assailed him. What on earth was he doing? He didn't want to do this. Why on earth had he made that stupid deal with Karl? He wasn't even entirely sure himself about his relationship with Sebastian; what right did he have to spring it on his father?

David put his hand on the doorknob and told himself that he would turn around right now. Screw the deal. Karl could be angry all he wanted. He just wasn't ready to tell his father about this. He didn't want him to know.

He opened the door.

Frank Scott was indeed awake and sitting on the bed, reading a book. He looked up as David entered and smiled. "Hey son. What's up? And... Sebastian, isn't it?"

David took a deep breath.

"Dad, can we talk?"

"Sure." Frank moved over and patted the bed next to him in an invitation for David to sit down. But David shook his head.

"I'd rather stand," he said.

"Is something wrong?" Frank looked alarmed.

"No, no, nothing's wrong," David hastened to assure him. "It's just..." He took another deep breath. "Dad, I wanted to personally introduce you to Sebastian." He gestured at the man behind him. "He's... my lover."

Frank's mouth dropped open and he stared at the two of them with a shocked expression. He didn't speak for so long that David felt on the verge of turning and fleeing the room in blind panic. Fortunately, Sebastian stepped forward first and broke the silence.

"Sir, I hope you don't mind," he said, curiously formal, "but I really care about your son, Sir. David tells me that where you come from, there are different customs regarding one's choice of lovers. I should tell you, Sir, that he will face no rejection from society in Dinotopia."

David nodded, his face flushing, and stared at the floor. "In Dinotopia, bisexuality is considered the norm, rather than a deviation. I know that probably doesn't make you feel any better, but, well, there's not much else I can say."

"How... When?" managed Frank.

This was the part that David was dreading. He knew he couldn't define his relationship with Sebastian. Heck, he wasn't certain that they even _had_ one, come to that. So he answered as best he could.

"He and I just started sleeping together last night and well, Karl convinced me that I should tell you right away."

"You told your brother?" Frank sounded surprised.

David blushed. "He sort of walked in on us this morning. Not that he-! I-I mean, we weren't doing anything like that, it's just, well, it was sort of a... compromising position."

Frank nodded, though from the look on his face, David doubted if he was actually absorbing any of this. He looked as though he were still reeling from the shock of it all.

Suddenly, a trumpet blast rent the air. David's heart spasmed, recognizing the pattern of the call. And even while the adrenaline shot through his nerves, a part of him was glad to be out of this awkward conversation.

Sebastian saluted his father, which somehow seemed less odd than David thought it should. "I'm sorry Sir, but that's the alarm. Duty calls. Come on, David."

David nodded and rushed with Sebastian out the door of the barracks and towards the cliff edge.

He was exhausted when they finally returned from the impromptu mission late that evening. It had been easy, but long. Even though they had managed to work in shifts so that the riders could rest and grab a hurried bite to sustain themselves, they had still been riding and fighting most of the day. But he didn't head back to the White Squad barracks right away once they had landed.

"I'm going to talk to my dad some more," he told Sebastian, and smiled at the other man's slightly disappointed look. He brought Sebastian's head down and kissed him on the cheek, feeling his own face flush slightly as he did so. It still felt odd to him, these little expressions of intimacy, but it was something he thought he could get used to. "I'll be back soon," he assured his lover.

He jogged lightly back towards the guest rooms, wondering whether talking to his dad more was really what he wanted to do after all. That morning's conversation had been awkward, and most likely this would be just as uncomfortable. But it was better to get the weirdness over with now, he reasoned. Letting it fester was probably a bad idea.

When he got to his dad's room, he was surprised to find his brother sitting on the bed next to his father. They both looked up at him when he entered, and said nothing as he closed the door behind him. David felt uncomfortable, as he had suspected he would.

"Everything alright?" his father asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, yeah," said David. "Since the installation of the new sunstones, the Pteranodons have been testing the limits of their territory. It was nothing major. Just a little skirmish."

Frank nodded. "That's good. So. Sebastian seems... nice."

David winced slightly. "I know this is really weird. And I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted me to not bring him around you at all, but I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to stop seeing him, even if you ask me to. I'm-"

Frank forestalled him by holding up a hand. "It's alright David," he said. "Really. Come, sit." He patted the bed next to him, on the opposite side as Karl. David sat.

"Look," said Frank. "It's obvious that you and Sebastian are really close. And I'm not going to pretend that that's what I would have chosen for you, but what's important is that you're happy. I almost lost you guys forever in that plane crash. I'm not going to let us break apart over something as trivial as this. We are family, and we've got to stick together."

To David's surprise, Karl nodded. "It's not like we really have anyone else. No one we can talk to about the outside world, anyway. We need each other. And Dad's right; this is too small a thing to break us apart."

David smiled. "Thanks. I have to admit, I hadn't really expected that attitude from either of you, but I'm glad. And I promise, Sebastian is a good person. He really is."

Karl grinned back at him, a mischievous glint in his eye. "He'd better be. Or he'll have to answer to me. Now." He stood up, stretching. "It's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."

David nodded. "That sounds good." He held the door open, and Karl walked through. David bid his father goodnight and stepped out into the hallway. Marion was just opening to door for Karl, and she smiled when he caught her eye. Ushering Karl into the room, she stepped into the hallway.

Taking the few steps towards David, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, much as David had done with Sebastian earlier.

"I'm very glad that you found someone to care for," she said quietly. "You deserve to be loved."

"Thanks Marion," he said. "You too. I hope you and Karl will be very happy together." And he meant that, he realized. He truly wanted her to be happy with his brother. He smiled brightly at her.

She kissed him again and went back into her room, and David headed back to the White Squad barracks.

When he got there, he debated for a moment whether to use his own room; his and Romana's rooms had been prepared now and were ready for them to use as soon as they moved in their belongings. But the thought of spending another night with Sebastian quickly changed his mind, and he moved softly down to the end of the hall.

Sebastian was waiting for him when he entered, and greeted him with a grin and a swift kiss.

"Did it go well?" he asked.

"Yeah," said David. "I think everything's going to be okay."

Previous Chapter I Epilogue

  
  
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	15. Epilogue: Home

Training  
Epilogue - Home

  
  
**Notes/Disclaimer: This fic is based solely on the Dinotopia movie, NOT the series. I apologize for any inconsistencies with the books. I don't apologize for any inconsistencies with the series because it bit. I don't own the movie, or the series, or the books. Thank you. **

Man, I really slacked off on these last couple of chapters. They kind of suck. Sorry. I hope you'll forgive me. I just wanted to get them done. Anyway, so this is it. The end. I hope you enjoyed the story. 

"-And so, even though the situation seems to have quieted down at the moment, it is my opinion that the area should still be closely watched." Having finished his report, David saluted, his spine rigidly straight. Trying not to look as though he was doing so, he watched the assembled Council closely.

The Skybax Council was made up of the heads of each Squad. He tried not to stare at Sebastian as the assembled men and women bent their heads together, discussing what he had just told them. David stood stiffly, waiting.

Eventually one of the heads, the gold leader's, rose up. "Thank you David. You are dismissed."

David saluted again and headed back to the barracks. On the way he passed by the nesting cliffs and his eyes automatically sought out Freefall. The Skybax was already asleep in his nest. David smiled. It had been a long mission, made all the longer for David because Sebastian was stuck back in Canyon City doing Council duties. Not that Altara was a bad person, or a bad leader. Not by far. But she just wasn't Sebastian.

David hardly even noticed his own door as he passed it by. When the next batch of cadets came in, someone else would be given the room. God knew he never used it. David smiled slightly, pushing open the door to Sebastian's room. He dumped his gear in a pile in the corner and flopped onto the bed, exhausted. They had really pushed themselves to be back before nightfall, and they had just barely made it. And then there had been the interminable wait to make his report to the Council, then the report itself. And now, finally, it was time to rest.

David lay still for a few seconds more, before getting up enough to rid himself of his clothes. It was late spring, but already warm enough that one could comfortably sleep naked, even with the windows open. Dinotopia was a tropical island, so it never got cold enough for a serious winter anyway, and Canyon City was especially warm, even with the major winds that blew through.

Pushing down the light blanket to the foot of the bed, David sprawled in the center of the sheets, staring at the ceiling. Twenty minutes later he was almost drifting off when he heard the soft click of the door opening. The cross-breeze created by wind moving through the open door and window sent a soft breath of cool air across his sweaty skin. He didn't open his eyes, but smiled when he felt a weight settle into bed next to him.

He turned his head to the side and opened his eyes slightly to see Sebastian, also naked, grinning at him. Nine months they had been together now, David thought. Nine months. Not a year, but substantially more than half. And that grin still gave him that peculiar little warm feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Sebastian leaned forward and kissed him lightly, first on the lips, then on the jaw, then on the neck. "I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too," said David. "I hate going on patrol without you."

"At least you're doing something instead of stuck in this city arguing with stubborn, thick-headed Council members over something inane, like protocol," Sebastian groused.

David smiled and turned on his side so that he could run his fingers through Sebastian's hair. It _was_ hot out; the hair at the base of Sebastian's neck was already damp with sweat. Sebastian closed his eyes briefly and sighed with pleasure. "At least you're back now," he said.

David didn't answer, but tugged on Sebastian's arm until the other man moved over and was lying on top of him. The sweat of their bodies stuck their skin together, but David had missed this feeling of a comfortable weight on top of him too much to care. At least when Sebastian was with them on patrol, the two of them could sleep next to each other on a pallet, even if they couldn't actually have sex due to the proximity of the rest of the Squad.

Sebastian resumed his leisurely kissing of David's neck, moving down to lick at his collarbone. He chuckled. "Salty," he murmured.

"It the sweat," said David. "It's too warm in here."

"You call this sweat?" said Sebastian. "Come on. I know you can work up a better sweat than this." He grinned ferally. "Here. I'll help you."

Previous Chapter I First Chapter

  
  
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


End file.
